scoreboard
08-30-2008, 09:26 AM
Braaten headed south
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, August 29, 2008
Spencer Braaten has elected to part company with the Regina Pats.
The 18-year-old forward was unable to agree to terms on a WHL contract, so he left the team on Thursday and is now expected to explore his options south of the border.
Braaten had been with Regina since the start of training camp, but the sides reached an impasse regarding his status for this weekend's preseason tournament in Edmonton.
If Braaten had dressed for an exhibition game, he would have lost a year of NCAA eligibility.
Therefore, he was seeking some guarantees from the Pats, who weren't prepared to meet those conditions until they could evaluate him in a live WHL environment.
"The NCAA rules don't allow a kid to explore his options," lamented GM Brent Parker. "It's a shame because it's really punishing the kid by not giving him an opportunity to see if he can play at the top level (of junior hockey). Instead they have to settle for playing at a secondary level."
The Pats put considerable effort into recruiting Braaten and convincing him to attend training camp. The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder, an undrafted list pickup, caught the team's eye last season when he was among the leading scorers in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League with 31 goals and 79 points in 43 games.
"We wanted him to stay," added Parker. "I really like the kid. I think he would have been able to make our team but circumstances dictate otherwise. His family has been very forthright and upfront from the beginning. They had to make a decision and they chose the direction they did."
Braaten is believed to have received some interest from NCAA teams. The Saskatoon product is likely to play junior A this season, perhaps with the SJHL's Humboldt Broncos.
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Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, August 29, 2008
Spencer Braaten has elected to part company with the Regina Pats.
The 18-year-old forward was unable to agree to terms on a WHL contract, so he left the team on Thursday and is now expected to explore his options south of the border.
Braaten had been with Regina since the start of training camp, but the sides reached an impasse regarding his status for this weekend's preseason tournament in Edmonton.
If Braaten had dressed for an exhibition game, he would have lost a year of NCAA eligibility.
Therefore, he was seeking some guarantees from the Pats, who weren't prepared to meet those conditions until they could evaluate him in a live WHL environment.
"The NCAA rules don't allow a kid to explore his options," lamented GM Brent Parker. "It's a shame because it's really punishing the kid by not giving him an opportunity to see if he can play at the top level (of junior hockey). Instead they have to settle for playing at a secondary level."
The Pats put considerable effort into recruiting Braaten and convincing him to attend training camp. The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder, an undrafted list pickup, caught the team's eye last season when he was among the leading scorers in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League with 31 goals and 79 points in 43 games.
"We wanted him to stay," added Parker. "I really like the kid. I think he would have been able to make our team but circumstances dictate otherwise. His family has been very forthright and upfront from the beginning. They had to make a decision and they chose the direction they did."
Braaten is believed to have received some interest from NCAA teams. The Saskatoon product is likely to play junior A this season, perhaps with the SJHL's Humboldt Broncos.
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