scamperdog
12-27-2006, 05:09 AM
Sources: Cougars send Robertson to Thunderbirds
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
The Prince George Cougars will announce a significant trade today, the Citizen has learned.
The Cougars are expected to finalize a deal that will see overage forward Brett Robertson, a former Medicine Hat Tiger, become a Seattle Thunderbird for 19-year-old centre Chris Durand.
The deal cannot be announced until today because of the WHL’s trade moratorium. Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson, travelling back to Prince George, could not be reached for comment, but Robertson did not skate with the team in Tuesday evening’s practice.
Durand was told of the trade Tuesday afternoon. There is no word if he’ll be able to get to Prince George in time for tonight’s game at CN Centre, with the Cougars facing the Spokane Chiefs in the opening game of a doubleheader.
Robertson was not expected to play for Seattle tonight when the T-birds play host to the Everett Silvertips.
The deal is the second in just over a week between the Cougars and Thunderbirds. In the hours before the trade moratorium was put in place, the Cougars sent Prab Rai, the 17-year-old who quit the team in early Dec., to Seattle for 17-year-old winger Chad Hohmann. Rai will make his T-birds debut tonight.
Durand, a product of Saskatoon, was taken in the second round (52nd overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2005 NHL entry draft. The T-birds selected Durand, six-foot-two and 205 pounds, fourth overall in the 2002 WHL bantam draft, one spot ahead of current Cougars winger Devin Setoguchi and seven places before the Cats chose local product Nick Drazenovic.
The right-hand shooting Durand, who turns 20 on Jan. 21, is considered a polished defensive player who has not lived up to his offensive potential. Through 34 games this year with Seattle, Durand has five goals and eight points. Last season he scored 14 goals and added 20 points, but his best season by far was his draft year when he tallied 19 goals and finished with 53 points in 66 games.
The Cougars added Robertson, who had ties to former Cougars head coach Mike Vandekamp, during training camp in a swap that saw holdout draft pick Tyler Swystun become a Tiger. Robertson started like a house on fire with the Cougars, winning the WHL’s first player-of-the-week award, then tailed off considerably. Robertson leaves the Cougars with five goals and 21 points in 32 games, but had only 12 points in his last 29 outings.
www.princegeorgecitizen.com
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
The Prince George Cougars will announce a significant trade today, the Citizen has learned.
The Cougars are expected to finalize a deal that will see overage forward Brett Robertson, a former Medicine Hat Tiger, become a Seattle Thunderbird for 19-year-old centre Chris Durand.
The deal cannot be announced until today because of the WHL’s trade moratorium. Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson, travelling back to Prince George, could not be reached for comment, but Robertson did not skate with the team in Tuesday evening’s practice.
Durand was told of the trade Tuesday afternoon. There is no word if he’ll be able to get to Prince George in time for tonight’s game at CN Centre, with the Cougars facing the Spokane Chiefs in the opening game of a doubleheader.
Robertson was not expected to play for Seattle tonight when the T-birds play host to the Everett Silvertips.
The deal is the second in just over a week between the Cougars and Thunderbirds. In the hours before the trade moratorium was put in place, the Cougars sent Prab Rai, the 17-year-old who quit the team in early Dec., to Seattle for 17-year-old winger Chad Hohmann. Rai will make his T-birds debut tonight.
Durand, a product of Saskatoon, was taken in the second round (52nd overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2005 NHL entry draft. The T-birds selected Durand, six-foot-two and 205 pounds, fourth overall in the 2002 WHL bantam draft, one spot ahead of current Cougars winger Devin Setoguchi and seven places before the Cats chose local product Nick Drazenovic.
The right-hand shooting Durand, who turns 20 on Jan. 21, is considered a polished defensive player who has not lived up to his offensive potential. Through 34 games this year with Seattle, Durand has five goals and eight points. Last season he scored 14 goals and added 20 points, but his best season by far was his draft year when he tallied 19 goals and finished with 53 points in 66 games.
The Cougars added Robertson, who had ties to former Cougars head coach Mike Vandekamp, during training camp in a swap that saw holdout draft pick Tyler Swystun become a Tiger. Robertson started like a house on fire with the Cougars, winning the WHL’s first player-of-the-week award, then tailed off considerably. Robertson leaves the Cougars with five goals and 21 points in 32 games, but had only 12 points in his last 29 outings.
www.princegeorgecitizen.com