PJ-34
10-17-2008, 10:52 AM
From www.saskatoonblades.com
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix Published: Friday, October 17, 2008
Getting traded doesn't sting quite so much when you're bound for a team that's riding a seven-game winning streak.
That's what Adam Chorneyko discovered Thursday when the Lethbridge Hurricanes dealt him to the Saskatoon Blades. The 20-year-old winger didn't fit into the Hurricanes' three-player overage quota, so the Blades scooped him up for a fifth-round bantam pick.
"I saw that they won (Wednesday) in Swift Current to be tied for first, so it's a privilege to be coming to a first-place team," Chorneyko said of the Blades (8-4-0-0).
Chorneyko has a cheering section already in place. His aunt and uncle live in Saskatoon, and he has other relatives in Regina. He's also familiar with a couple of the Blades.
"I started my career in Kamloops, so I played against (former Kelowna Rockets defenceman) Colin Joe a lot there and also in midget," said Chorneyko, who hails from St. Albert, Alta. "And just this past summer, I played on a summer-league team with Chris (Langkow) and got to know him quite well."
The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Chorneyko is likely to debut with Langkow and centre Travis Toomey next Tuesday in Regina. Winger Curtis Hamilton suffered a knee injury against Swift Current and has returned home to Kelowna. He is scheduled to have an MRI today.
"The trade couldn't have happened at a better time with Hamilton going down," said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken. "(Chorneyko) will get a chance to play with some real good players right off the bat."
Chorneyko split his first four WHL seasons between Kamloops and Lethbridge, registering a modest 59 points in 191 games. He's begun to blossom offensively, though, with four goals and three assists in eight games this season.
"He has gotten off to a fast start this year with Lethbridge and we feel he will fit in well with our team and continue to put up points," said Molleken.
Chorneyko is also attractive for his playoff experience. He was part of a Lethbridge team that advanced to the WHL final last season before falling to the Spokane Chiefs. The Blades are short on playoff resumes after missing the post-season two years in a row.
The Hurricanes made Chorneyko available after they settled on two defencemen, Mitch Versteeg and Ben Wright, and centre Mitch Fadden as their 20-year-olds. Thursday was the deadline for teams to declare their overage players.
"It's tough leaving some good friends and great people in this organization, but (the trade) is a good thing," said Chorneyko, who joins Joe and forward Mike Reich as the Blades' overage trio.
"It's a new start, a fresh start, and I'll be glad to be part of the family in Saskatoon. How well they're doing right now is unbelievable and that's the best thing -- to be part of something so great."
Great to see. I'm really liking this guy.
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix Published: Friday, October 17, 2008
Getting traded doesn't sting quite so much when you're bound for a team that's riding a seven-game winning streak.
That's what Adam Chorneyko discovered Thursday when the Lethbridge Hurricanes dealt him to the Saskatoon Blades. The 20-year-old winger didn't fit into the Hurricanes' three-player overage quota, so the Blades scooped him up for a fifth-round bantam pick.
"I saw that they won (Wednesday) in Swift Current to be tied for first, so it's a privilege to be coming to a first-place team," Chorneyko said of the Blades (8-4-0-0).
Chorneyko has a cheering section already in place. His aunt and uncle live in Saskatoon, and he has other relatives in Regina. He's also familiar with a couple of the Blades.
"I started my career in Kamloops, so I played against (former Kelowna Rockets defenceman) Colin Joe a lot there and also in midget," said Chorneyko, who hails from St. Albert, Alta. "And just this past summer, I played on a summer-league team with Chris (Langkow) and got to know him quite well."
The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Chorneyko is likely to debut with Langkow and centre Travis Toomey next Tuesday in Regina. Winger Curtis Hamilton suffered a knee injury against Swift Current and has returned home to Kelowna. He is scheduled to have an MRI today.
"The trade couldn't have happened at a better time with Hamilton going down," said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken. "(Chorneyko) will get a chance to play with some real good players right off the bat."
Chorneyko split his first four WHL seasons between Kamloops and Lethbridge, registering a modest 59 points in 191 games. He's begun to blossom offensively, though, with four goals and three assists in eight games this season.
"He has gotten off to a fast start this year with Lethbridge and we feel he will fit in well with our team and continue to put up points," said Molleken.
Chorneyko is also attractive for his playoff experience. He was part of a Lethbridge team that advanced to the WHL final last season before falling to the Spokane Chiefs. The Blades are short on playoff resumes after missing the post-season two years in a row.
The Hurricanes made Chorneyko available after they settled on two defencemen, Mitch Versteeg and Ben Wright, and centre Mitch Fadden as their 20-year-olds. Thursday was the deadline for teams to declare their overage players.
"It's tough leaving some good friends and great people in this organization, but (the trade) is a good thing," said Chorneyko, who joins Joe and forward Mike Reich as the Blades' overage trio.
"It's a new start, a fresh start, and I'll be glad to be part of the family in Saskatoon. How well they're doing right now is unbelievable and that's the best thing -- to be part of something so great."
Great to see. I'm really liking this guy.