Tipped Off
11-30-2005, 01:36 PM
Tips Wing Leaves to join Canadas Elite
November 30 2005 at 1:01 AM
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Terri (Login Terri_Smith)
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Tips wing leaves to join Canada's elite
Brady Calla says he's excited to take part in this week's Canada-Russia Challenge.
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - This morning Everett Silvertips right wing Brady Calla boarded a plane to join hockey's elite.
Calla departed this morning for the Canada-Russia Challenge, a series of games pitting the best Canadian players from the Canadian Hockey League against a touring team consisting of some of Russia's best young prospects.
"I'm excited, but nervous at the same time," Calla said Tuesday. "It's going to be a great opportunity. I'm going to go very open-minded and just go with a hard-working frame of mind."
Calla was one of 34 players from the Western Hockey League chosen for the series. The Russians face the WHL all-stars in games tonight in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Thursday in Regina, Saskatchewan. Calla is playing in Thursday's game. So far the Russians are 0-4, losing twice each to teams from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League.
Calla, who is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists), is particularly looking forward to playing with the best of the players he usually plays against.
"It'll be cool knowing that a lot of those guys are going to play in the National Hockey League," Calla said. "It's cool knowing they're going to be at that level and I played with them at one point - and hopefully again at one point."
Calla was just one of three 17-year-olds chosen from the WHL. The others were teammate Zach Hamill, who is unable to participate because of his bout of mononucleosis, and Regina defenseman Logan Pyett. The rest of the WHL roster consists of older players.
"It was pretty amazing being selected, especially when Zach was also picked," Calla said. "I was excited for him and we were both pretty pumped because we thought we'd play together and have something special to share together. It's a little upsetting that he's not going to be there, but it's still going to be a great opportunity."
Wild ride: When Curtis Billsten played at the Everett Events Center for the first time as a visitor, it was the final chapter in what's been a crazy five months for the former Silvertip.
Billsten, who played two seasons for the Silvertips, returned to Everett on Saturday as a member of the Kootenay Ice, his third team since July.
"It's been a little hectic," Billsten said following Kootenay's 4-1 victory over Everett.
Billsten, a 19-year-old forward, was an original Silvertip. But Billsten was traded to Lethbridge in July in the deal that brought John Lammers to Everett.
Billsten's stay in Lethbridge was short. Earlier this month Kootenay acquired Billsten as partial compensation for Lethbridge hiring Kootenay's head scout, Roy Stasiuk, as its new general manager.
Despite the turmoil, Billsten is turning in the best season of his WHL career. Billsten has 12 goals and 11 assists in 24 games between Lethbridge and Kootenay, and he's currently tied for sixth in the league in plus/minus with a plus-15. He's currently playing on one of the most-feared lines in the WHL alongside Dale Mahovsky and Ryan Russell, and he has also beaten Everett three times - twice with Kootenay and once with Lethbridge.
"I came to Lethbridge, which was a big change from Everett," Billsten said. "But I went in there and had a great start to the season, everything went real well. Then I got picked up in this recent trade and I just can't say enough about it. I'm going to another well-known organization for winning and it's going to be awesome to keep playing with these guys."
But Billsten will always cherish his time in Everett.
"I had such a fantastic time in Everett, both years I played there, and I can't say enough about it."
Around the WHL: Everett dropped one spot to ninth in this week's Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll. Medicine Hat retained the top spot, earning 14 of the 19 first-place votes. Kootenay remained in second and Calgary held third. ... Portland center Brandon Dubinsky was named the WHL Player of the Week for Nov. 21-27. Dubinsky had four goals and three assists in three games, leading the Winter Hawks to a 3-0 record. ... Another former Silvertip, defenseman Randy King, was also traded for the second time this season. Prince George sent the 18-year-old King and 16-year-old defenseman Ryan Kerr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 Bantam Draft, to Lethbridge in exchange for 18-year-old defenseman Kalvin Sagert and 17-year-old defenseman Jesse Dudas. ... Portland, suffering through injuries to its defense, acquired 17-year-old defenseman Mike McDonald from Tri-City in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2006 Bantam Draft.
November 30 2005 at 1:01 AM
No score for this post
Terri (Login Terri_Smith)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips wing leaves to join Canada's elite
Brady Calla says he's excited to take part in this week's Canada-Russia Challenge.
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - This morning Everett Silvertips right wing Brady Calla boarded a plane to join hockey's elite.
Calla departed this morning for the Canada-Russia Challenge, a series of games pitting the best Canadian players from the Canadian Hockey League against a touring team consisting of some of Russia's best young prospects.
"I'm excited, but nervous at the same time," Calla said Tuesday. "It's going to be a great opportunity. I'm going to go very open-minded and just go with a hard-working frame of mind."
Calla was one of 34 players from the Western Hockey League chosen for the series. The Russians face the WHL all-stars in games tonight in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Thursday in Regina, Saskatchewan. Calla is playing in Thursday's game. So far the Russians are 0-4, losing twice each to teams from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League.
Calla, who is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists), is particularly looking forward to playing with the best of the players he usually plays against.
"It'll be cool knowing that a lot of those guys are going to play in the National Hockey League," Calla said. "It's cool knowing they're going to be at that level and I played with them at one point - and hopefully again at one point."
Calla was just one of three 17-year-olds chosen from the WHL. The others were teammate Zach Hamill, who is unable to participate because of his bout of mononucleosis, and Regina defenseman Logan Pyett. The rest of the WHL roster consists of older players.
"It was pretty amazing being selected, especially when Zach was also picked," Calla said. "I was excited for him and we were both pretty pumped because we thought we'd play together and have something special to share together. It's a little upsetting that he's not going to be there, but it's still going to be a great opportunity."
Wild ride: When Curtis Billsten played at the Everett Events Center for the first time as a visitor, it was the final chapter in what's been a crazy five months for the former Silvertip.
Billsten, who played two seasons for the Silvertips, returned to Everett on Saturday as a member of the Kootenay Ice, his third team since July.
"It's been a little hectic," Billsten said following Kootenay's 4-1 victory over Everett.
Billsten, a 19-year-old forward, was an original Silvertip. But Billsten was traded to Lethbridge in July in the deal that brought John Lammers to Everett.
Billsten's stay in Lethbridge was short. Earlier this month Kootenay acquired Billsten as partial compensation for Lethbridge hiring Kootenay's head scout, Roy Stasiuk, as its new general manager.
Despite the turmoil, Billsten is turning in the best season of his WHL career. Billsten has 12 goals and 11 assists in 24 games between Lethbridge and Kootenay, and he's currently tied for sixth in the league in plus/minus with a plus-15. He's currently playing on one of the most-feared lines in the WHL alongside Dale Mahovsky and Ryan Russell, and he has also beaten Everett three times - twice with Kootenay and once with Lethbridge.
"I came to Lethbridge, which was a big change from Everett," Billsten said. "But I went in there and had a great start to the season, everything went real well. Then I got picked up in this recent trade and I just can't say enough about it. I'm going to another well-known organization for winning and it's going to be awesome to keep playing with these guys."
But Billsten will always cherish his time in Everett.
"I had such a fantastic time in Everett, both years I played there, and I can't say enough about it."
Around the WHL: Everett dropped one spot to ninth in this week's Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll. Medicine Hat retained the top spot, earning 14 of the 19 first-place votes. Kootenay remained in second and Calgary held third. ... Portland center Brandon Dubinsky was named the WHL Player of the Week for Nov. 21-27. Dubinsky had four goals and three assists in three games, leading the Winter Hawks to a 3-0 record. ... Another former Silvertip, defenseman Randy King, was also traded for the second time this season. Prince George sent the 18-year-old King and 16-year-old defenseman Ryan Kerr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 Bantam Draft, to Lethbridge in exchange for 18-year-old defenseman Kalvin Sagert and 17-year-old defenseman Jesse Dudas. ... Portland, suffering through injuries to its defense, acquired 17-year-old defenseman Mike McDonald from Tri-City in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2006 Bantam Draft.