puckmam
01-09-2008, 03:49 AM
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=111609&Itemid=564
Maylan glad to leave Moose Jaw (0)
(Sports) Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 23:14 PST
JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
It’s the old Western Hockey League threat -- the last thing any player wants to hear is that he’s been traded to Moose Jaw.
Well, Justin Maylan has been traded from Moose Jaw, and without even playing a game for his new team, the Prince George Cougars, he already likes his surroundings.
Maylan, the 16-year-old pivot who was at the centre of the major trade between the Cougars and Warriors, asked for the move out of Moose Jaw. Many factors came into play, he said, as he waived the no-trade clause he signed after being a first-round choice of the Warriors in 2006 (17th overall).
The main reasoning was icetime, and that’s something he’ll get plenty of here for a Cougars team that has, at best, a miracle shot at the playoffs.
“This is great -- way better than Moose Jaw,” laughed Maylan, a Calgary native who played his bantam draft season in North Shore, where he was teammates with current WHL players Evander Kane (Vancouver Giants) and Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon Blades, famous around here for the short time he was property of the Cougars).
“I had asked for a trade, and waived my no-trade clause. I initiated it, let my agent know before Christmas that it wasn’t working out. He found out Prince George was an option, and I was thrilled because Prince George is a great hockey town. This is a good, young team with good coaching and good management, and I think I’m going to get to play a lot more.
“The reasons (for asking for a trade), they were personal, but the big thing was icetime. I consider myself a play-making centre, so hopefully I can help my linemates and put up some points. I want to score goals, but the biggest thing for me is playing good defence because the opportunities all start in your own end.”
On Monday, Maylan and winger Brad Riege, 18, plus a first-round bantam pick in 2008 were lifted from Moose Jaw for defenceman Ty Wishart and winger Evan Fuller, a pair of 19-year-olds in their fourth seasons in Prince George. The Cougars also gave up a third-round bantam choice.
Maylan’s skill plugs a gap on the team’s depth chart. There was a need for an offensive player in the 1991 age group, and Maylan, already six-feet tall but with a slim 155-pound build, projects as that asset.
“He’s a good player -- he can skate, he can shoot, and he’s going to be a very good player for us,” said Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson.
Maylan had one goal in 20 games for Moose Jaw -- that came early in the year in Kelowna -- and he blames the low stats on a lack of icetime. To illustrate, he described the additional responsibility he was given with Team Pacific at the World Under-17 Challenge in London, Ont., piling up seven points in six games.
“It looks like I’m going to get a lot more ice here, which is better than Moose Jaw because there... not lots,” said Maylan, who hasn’t played a WHL game since Dec. 15 because of the under-17 tournament.
“It was too bad because I was looking ahead to having a really great year, and it just wasn’t going to change. When I went to London, it felt good and it showed that I am worth a little more. I did well, it helped me with my confidence level, and I got to play on the power play, things like that.”
Maylan will make his Cougars debut on Friday when the Kelowna Rockets arrive for a doubleheader. Maylan’s comfort level is helped by the fact there are plenty of familiar faces in the Cougars dressing room -- Ryan Kowalski, Art Bidlevskii, and the brothers Tyrell, Dana and Corey.
“I went to (North Shore) to get the exposure for my draft year, and it was an unbelievable year,” said Maylan.
“I played on a summer team with Bidlevskii, and played against Kowalski when I was with North Shore. This past summer, I trained with Dana and Corey and I can’t say enough about them. They’re just class, class guys, and it makes it a lot better to come to a place like this where I know they have class players.”
Maylan practiced with the Cougars on Tuesday. Riege, six-foot-two and 200 pounds, will arrive on a flight today after taking a day to consider his options. Riege, a tough customer who might do his best work on the penalty kill -- now that’s an attribute this team could use -- is now on his third WHL team. He started his WHL career in Lethbridge, and was traded to Moose Jaw prior to the start of the 2006-07 season.
“He took his car home (to Stoughton, Sask.), and he’ll fly in (today),” said Thompson. “I’ve never had any concern about him reporting.”
Maylan is glad to have Riege on this team.
“He’s a good player and a good guy off the ice,” said Maylan.
“He’s a guy who is going to work hard every night, and a great penalty-killer, probably the best guy we had for that in Moose Jaw.”
n Thompson said Tuesday he plans to use every minute prior to Thursday’s trade deadline -- 2 p.m. PT -- to explore moves geared toward the future.
“Whatever’s going to happen, if it happens, it’s going to happen late,” said Thompson.
“There have been steady calls, but it’s the same thing -- guys are trying to not give up much to get good players. We’re going to keep all our young guys, I’m happy with them and we’ve obviously made a statement that we’re going that direction.
“Obviously, if I could add another one, I’d be happy to do that. A defenceman, and maybe a good 19-year-old who could be a 20-year-old next season, those are of interest.”
Thompson did not deny he’d have an interest in Spruce Kings goaltender Damien Ketlo, who belongs to the Regina Pats.
“I’d look at anything -- I’m open to anything that will make our team better for next year and the years down the road,” said Thompson.
Even with all the talk about major moves still to come, there was but one minor trade on Tuesday. The Vancouver Giants traded the rights to defenceman Nolan Toigo, the 18-year-old nephew of Giants owner Ron Toigo, to the Tri-City Americans for a conditional bantam pick. Nolan Toigo is with Surrey of the BCHL, and will stay there unless the Americans fall into injury problems.
Maylan glad to leave Moose Jaw (0)
(Sports) Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 23:14 PST
JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
It’s the old Western Hockey League threat -- the last thing any player wants to hear is that he’s been traded to Moose Jaw.
Well, Justin Maylan has been traded from Moose Jaw, and without even playing a game for his new team, the Prince George Cougars, he already likes his surroundings.
Maylan, the 16-year-old pivot who was at the centre of the major trade between the Cougars and Warriors, asked for the move out of Moose Jaw. Many factors came into play, he said, as he waived the no-trade clause he signed after being a first-round choice of the Warriors in 2006 (17th overall).
The main reasoning was icetime, and that’s something he’ll get plenty of here for a Cougars team that has, at best, a miracle shot at the playoffs.
“This is great -- way better than Moose Jaw,” laughed Maylan, a Calgary native who played his bantam draft season in North Shore, where he was teammates with current WHL players Evander Kane (Vancouver Giants) and Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon Blades, famous around here for the short time he was property of the Cougars).
“I had asked for a trade, and waived my no-trade clause. I initiated it, let my agent know before Christmas that it wasn’t working out. He found out Prince George was an option, and I was thrilled because Prince George is a great hockey town. This is a good, young team with good coaching and good management, and I think I’m going to get to play a lot more.
“The reasons (for asking for a trade), they were personal, but the big thing was icetime. I consider myself a play-making centre, so hopefully I can help my linemates and put up some points. I want to score goals, but the biggest thing for me is playing good defence because the opportunities all start in your own end.”
On Monday, Maylan and winger Brad Riege, 18, plus a first-round bantam pick in 2008 were lifted from Moose Jaw for defenceman Ty Wishart and winger Evan Fuller, a pair of 19-year-olds in their fourth seasons in Prince George. The Cougars also gave up a third-round bantam choice.
Maylan’s skill plugs a gap on the team’s depth chart. There was a need for an offensive player in the 1991 age group, and Maylan, already six-feet tall but with a slim 155-pound build, projects as that asset.
“He’s a good player -- he can skate, he can shoot, and he’s going to be a very good player for us,” said Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson.
Maylan had one goal in 20 games for Moose Jaw -- that came early in the year in Kelowna -- and he blames the low stats on a lack of icetime. To illustrate, he described the additional responsibility he was given with Team Pacific at the World Under-17 Challenge in London, Ont., piling up seven points in six games.
“It looks like I’m going to get a lot more ice here, which is better than Moose Jaw because there... not lots,” said Maylan, who hasn’t played a WHL game since Dec. 15 because of the under-17 tournament.
“It was too bad because I was looking ahead to having a really great year, and it just wasn’t going to change. When I went to London, it felt good and it showed that I am worth a little more. I did well, it helped me with my confidence level, and I got to play on the power play, things like that.”
Maylan will make his Cougars debut on Friday when the Kelowna Rockets arrive for a doubleheader. Maylan’s comfort level is helped by the fact there are plenty of familiar faces in the Cougars dressing room -- Ryan Kowalski, Art Bidlevskii, and the brothers Tyrell, Dana and Corey.
“I went to (North Shore) to get the exposure for my draft year, and it was an unbelievable year,” said Maylan.
“I played on a summer team with Bidlevskii, and played against Kowalski when I was with North Shore. This past summer, I trained with Dana and Corey and I can’t say enough about them. They’re just class, class guys, and it makes it a lot better to come to a place like this where I know they have class players.”
Maylan practiced with the Cougars on Tuesday. Riege, six-foot-two and 200 pounds, will arrive on a flight today after taking a day to consider his options. Riege, a tough customer who might do his best work on the penalty kill -- now that’s an attribute this team could use -- is now on his third WHL team. He started his WHL career in Lethbridge, and was traded to Moose Jaw prior to the start of the 2006-07 season.
“He took his car home (to Stoughton, Sask.), and he’ll fly in (today),” said Thompson. “I’ve never had any concern about him reporting.”
Maylan is glad to have Riege on this team.
“He’s a good player and a good guy off the ice,” said Maylan.
“He’s a guy who is going to work hard every night, and a great penalty-killer, probably the best guy we had for that in Moose Jaw.”
n Thompson said Tuesday he plans to use every minute prior to Thursday’s trade deadline -- 2 p.m. PT -- to explore moves geared toward the future.
“Whatever’s going to happen, if it happens, it’s going to happen late,” said Thompson.
“There have been steady calls, but it’s the same thing -- guys are trying to not give up much to get good players. We’re going to keep all our young guys, I’m happy with them and we’ve obviously made a statement that we’re going that direction.
“Obviously, if I could add another one, I’d be happy to do that. A defenceman, and maybe a good 19-year-old who could be a 20-year-old next season, those are of interest.”
Thompson did not deny he’d have an interest in Spruce Kings goaltender Damien Ketlo, who belongs to the Regina Pats.
“I’d look at anything -- I’m open to anything that will make our team better for next year and the years down the road,” said Thompson.
Even with all the talk about major moves still to come, there was but one minor trade on Tuesday. The Vancouver Giants traded the rights to defenceman Nolan Toigo, the 18-year-old nephew of Giants owner Ron Toigo, to the Tri-City Americans for a conditional bantam pick. Nolan Toigo is with Surrey of the BCHL, and will stay there unless the Americans fall into injury problems.