Gardner Gets Tryout

[TwoBits]

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124259&Itemid=564


Gardner pirates an AHL tryout (0)
(Sports) Thursday, 20 March 2008, 21:34 PST
JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
Related Articles NHL roundup: Thursday's action on the ice
An American Hockey League team has the market cornered on former Prince George Cougars captains.

Greg Gardner, who just ended a 338-game run as a member of the WHL club, leaves from Prince George today for Maine, and a tryout with the Portland Pirates.

Already on the roster of the top farm team of the Anaheim Ducks is Tyler Bouck, considered the best captain in Cougars history. Gardner hasn’t met Bouck, but is looking forward to it.

“(Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson) called Bouck, told him to take me under his wing,” said Gardner, who will see other familiar faces in the Portland dressing room.

“It will be good to meet him. I know (former Vancouver Giants defencemen) Brendan Mikkelson and Brett Festerling through hockey, so that will be good.”

Bouck, who has 91 NHL games under his belt playing for Dallas, Phoenix and Vancouver, is the captain of the Pirates, and has eight goals and 24 points in 68 games this season.

Portland, with ex-NHL all-star Kevin Dineen as the head coach, sits third in the Atlantic Division at 41-22-2-4.

Prior to a call three nights ago from his agent, Jared Bousquet, Gardner was preparing for a trip to Australia to visit his parents. His father, an engineer, took a three-year post down under and Gardner, who has been too busy with training and hockey to make the trip, was excited to finally see where his parents have set up shop.

“I was all ready to go to Australia -- I was able to cancel my flight, and now I’m going to the AHL,” said Gardner, who turns 21 on April 29.

“I had no idea. I only thought ECHL offers were going to be available, so I might as well take my chance when it comes. I don’t think I’ll be paid money unless I play games, but they fly me down there, all expenses paid, put me up in a hotel and pay me a per diem. This will help me figure out my options for next year.”

Accepting a tryout offer won’t affect the five years of education money he stockpiled while playing for the Cougars. Gardner hasn’t made a commitment to a CIS program yet.

This past season, Gardner had 24 goals and 53 points, career-highs, and played a full 72 games for the second season in a row. He surpassed the former record of 336 games played as a Cougar, that mark held by Chris Falloon.

n Kalvin Sagert, who graduated following five seasons in the WHL, was plus-1 with no points on Wednesday as he made his ECHL debut wearing jersey No. 17 for the Victoria Salmon Kings in a 7-3 win over the Utah Grizzlies. Former Cougar and Prince George resident Gary Gladue, an assistant captain, had two assists for the Salmon Kings, while ex-Cougars goaltender Billy Thompson was the backup.

n When the CHL import draft comes around later this summer, the Cougars will be taking two players.

That means the team will be cutting loose both Jan Kupec, a 17-year-old who had multiple injury problems this season, and defenceman Patrik Magnusson, who would occupy roster spots as both import and overager if he returned for another WHL season.

“We haven’t closed the door on Patrik completely, we’re going to see what happens at the import draft and go from there,” said Thompson.

“He could sign a pro contract either with an NHL team or in Sweden, who knows. I’ve talked to his agent a number of times, and if he can’t make the pro league (in Sweden) this might be his best option. We’d have to decide if we want to take the two spots up with one guy.”

Magnusson played 70 games, scoring eight goals and adding 11 assists to go with 102 penalty minutes. The Swede, who went to camp as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings, was minus-20 and logged a lot of icetime in the second half.

Kupec, who battled shoulder injuries, had three goals and five points in 32 games. The 17-year-old is from Kladno in the Czech Republic.

Because the Cougars finished third-last in the WHL, they will pick in the top-10 in the import draft.

I have a question. It says a tryout won't affect his five years of education money, if he makes the team and plays, does he lose that money?

[old_time_hockey]

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124259&Itemid=564

I have a question. It says a tryout won't affect his five years of education money, if he makes the team and plays, does he lose that money?

The way that I understand it, no. You have access to that money all your life.

The theory being that if you get a career ending injury say in your first season in the ECHL, you can now go back to school to have something to fall back on.

Kyle Bruce did it. Played one year in the ECHL, came to play for the UBC T-Birds for a season and a bit, then went back to the ECHL.

Now NCAA would be a whole other story. But those people have their heads firmly planted up their backsides :spineyes: Kid from my hometown Rod Pelley (Played for the PG Spruce Kings) went to Ohio St. In his last year at school, he signed a deal with the NJ Devils. They needed help down in Albany so they asked him to play. But he had to make sure that he applied to graduate before going to play his first pro game. So after the AHL season ended he did summer school and finished his degree. Now he is playing 4th line in NJ.

[WestLEAFfan]

The way that I understand it, no. You have access to that money all your life.

The theory being that if you get a career ending injury say in your first season in the ECHL, you can now go back to school to have something to fall back on.

Kyle Bruce did it. Played one year in the ECHL, came to play for the UBC T-Birds for a season and a bit, then went back to the ECHL.

Now NCAA would be a whole other story. But those people have their heads firmly planted up their backsides :spineyes: Kid from my hometown Rod Pelley (Played for the PG Spruce Kings) went to Ohio St. In his last year at school, he signed a deal with the NJ Devils. They needed help down in Albany so they asked him to play. But he had to make sure that he applied to graduate before going to play his first pro game. So after the AHL season ended he did summer school and finished his degree. Now he is playing 4th line in NJ.

Back when Kyle Bruce played with the PA RAIDERS, he was one tough customer. Was he still hard nosed when he played for UBC?

[TwoBits]

The way that I understand it, no. You have access to that money all your life.

I thought they only had 2 years to use it or they lose it. I think that some guys that go to play pro in Europe work the amount they would get for school into their contracts so that they still have the option to go to school when they come back home. I was just curious if they played in a certain league if it would negate the money automatically.

[old_time_hockey]

Back when Kyle Bruce played with the PA RAIDERS, he was one tough customer. Was he still hard nosed when he played for UBC?

Yeah. He was fun to watch when he was with the Giants too.

At UBC he got in a fight defending a T-Bird that was cheap shotted. And of course in the CIS you fight, you get suspended. But he was glad to defend his teammate.

[TwoBits]

I just checked the Pirates roster and it looks like Gardner made the team. There aren't any stats for him yet so I'm assuming he hasn't played a game yet.