Broncos/Rockets make trade

[Scout]

Regan's Rant

Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Abundance Among the Overages!
The Kelowna Rockets added some much needed muscle and grit at forward this morning by acquiring 20 year-old Brady Leavold from the Swift Current Broncos for a conditional draft pick.

Leovold was the odd man out in the Broncos overage situation, and now adds a problem in Kelowna, with four 20 year-olds on the Rockets roster. Leavold joins Lyon Messier, Kristofer Westblom and captain James McEwan in that age group. The answer to who stays and who goes is pretty obvious. If Leavold proves his worth before the deadline, he'll earn the final spot and the Broncos receive a draft pick. If Leavold is not all that is advertised, the Rockets give up little.

Leavold has all the tools necessary to be a key contributor to the Rockets this season. The Port Coquitlam, BC resident had 35 points in 55 games with the Broncos last season. Not only can Leavold score, but he can fight, leading the Broncos in fighting majors last season with 12. The feisty forward was the Broncos rookie of the year in 2004-2005, but often times didn't see eye-to-eye with Swift Current head coach Dean Chynoweth. Rockets fan may remember Leavold quiting the Broncos, before his rights were traded to the Everett Silvertips on October 31st, 2005. Leovold failed to report to the Tips, nulifying the deal. Leovold instead rejoined the Broncos later that season.

What's Leovold's mindset now that he's a Rocket? I am about to find out when I talk to him at practice this afternoon. If his head is in the right place, the Rockets may have acquired a pretty good player.

I assume some Bronco fans will read this blog. If so, leave a comment on what you think of Leavold.

[Scout]

Broncos Trade Leavold to Rockets

Oct. 2 - The Swift Current Broncos announced this morning that they have traded 20-year-old forward Brady Leavold to the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a conditional Bantam Draft pick.
As a result of the recent three way trade with the Hitmen and Americans, made on Saturday, the Broncos were left with four overage players.

The Port Coquitlam native appeared in 132 games with the Broncos over the past three seasons recording 20 goals and 30 assists.

The Broncos roster now consists of 23 players, including 2 goaltenders, 7 defensemen, and 14 forwards.

The Broncos return to action tonight in Lethbridge as they begin their 5 game road trip. The team then moves on to Calgary (tomorrow), Kamloops (Friday), Prince George (Saturday) and concludes in Edmonton on Thanksgiving Monday. The Broncos play their first home game against the Oil Kings on Friday, October 12th.

For more information contact:

Dean Chynoweth, GM/Head Coach, Swift Current Broncos 773-1509, Ext. 8

Tracy Lemon, Public/Media Relations Director, Swift Current Broncos 773-1509, Ext. 9

[Flathead]

If Brady stays out of the box, and keeps his head in the game, he's very capable of a 20 goal season. Apparently he didn't leave here under the best circumstances, but I wish him all the best.

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=67863


Rockets add reinforcement
By Doyle Potenteau
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Brady Leavold doesn‘t know who Simon Ferguson is. In time, he will. If he‘s around, that is. After adding a surprise forward to their roster on Monday, the Kelowna Rockets went out and acquired another on Tuesday, plucking the 20-year-old Leavold from the Swift Current Broncos. Now with the 5-foot-10, 194-pound winger from Port Coquitlam in the mix, Kelowna has four over-age players on its roster, which is one more than the WHL limit. According to the Rockets, they have until Oct. 11 to either trade or release one of their over-agers – goalie Kris Westblom, captain James McEwan, defenceman Lyon Messier or Leavold.
“We‘re giving everybody a fair chance and we‘re only four games in, so it‘s not about panic,” said Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton, whose team is fourth in B.C. Division standings. “You know what? We‘ve gone through a month of training camp and I‘m still not seeing what I want to see from some of our guys. Therefore, as people become available from other teams, and there‘s somebody there we want to have a look at, we‘ll take a look at him.”
Enter Leavold, who is described as a gritty forward, in the mold of former Rocket Simon Ferguson. The six-foot Ferguson could skate, score, fight, kill penalties and was a key cog in helping Kelowna grind its way to the 2004 Memorial Cup. Now, while it‘s unfair to compare players directly, look at these two pictures:
In 2003-04, Ferguson‘s last season with Kelowna, the 20-year-old piled up 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points plus 186 penalty minutes in 68 regular-season games. Last season as a 19-year-old, Leavold tallied 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points plus 142 penalty minutes in 55 regular-season games.
“I wouldn‘t put that on him yet because Simon was a tremendously talented player. And an antagonist,” said Hamilton. “Being that (Leavold) was in the other conference, we haven‘t seen enough of him lately to know a lot. But if he is that, boy, we‘ll be excited. I know he‘s not afraid to stir things up.”
Tuesday‘s trade was precipitated by Swift Current having four over-age players and Kelowna wanting to add a character player to its roster. Kelowna‘s cost was cheap, a conditional draft pick. So, how does Leavold feel about being traded to Kelowna? Pretty good, since his parents live in Port Coquitlam and they have a place on Okanagan Lake.
“The trade was a bit of a surprise,” said Leavold, who arrived in Kelowna at 11 a.m. “(Broncos head coach Dean Chynoweth) told me to pack my bags and we were heading to Calgary. Yeah, I knew I was getting traded, but I didn‘t know where I was going. This is the best place I could have ended up. I spend my summers here, so I‘m pretty familiar with the area. It‘s close to home for me, so it‘ll give my friends and family a better chance to see me play. I can honestly say I‘ve came to B.C. once in my whole four-year career.”
Leavold has never played at Prospera Place, but he‘ll get his chance on Friday, when Kelowna opens a home-and-home set with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Game time is 7 p.m., with Saturday‘s tilt in Seattle set for 7:05 p.m.
“I‘m an energy-type guy and I do have an offensive upside; I can put the puck in the net,” said Leavold. “I can definitely do that, but I also like to fight. I like to play a gritty game and get in the other team‘s face. I don‘t shy away from anything. I got a pretty big mouth out there, but I can back that up, too; I had 13 or 14 fights last season. I‘ll do whatever it takes to get the team going; it doesn‘t matter what the score is or the situation out on the ice. If I can get a spark out of the guys, I‘ll do whatever I have to do.”
ICE CHIPS: In other WHL news, the Medicine Hat Tigers shipped D Adrian Van de Mosselaer, 17, of Kelowna to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday for a bantam draft pick.

[Flathead]

If Brady stays out of the box, and keeps his head in the game, he's very capable of a 20 goal season. Apparently he didn't leave here under the best circumstances, but I wish him all the best.
Brady has a post on the Broncos side where he clears things up a bit. And again all the best, Brady