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Sput
01-06-2006, 02:49 PM
Friday, January 6, 2006


Cats eye new import


by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

The Siarhei Kolasau saga is over. The Jacob Sindel story may be ready to begin.
With the Western Hockey League's trade deadline now four days away -- the cutoff is Tuesday, at 2 p.m. -- and the Prince George Cougars one of few teams without a full complement of imports, the Cats have set up an intriguing scenario.

First, put the Kolasau overtures to rest. The Belarussian defenceman, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick who is playing in the U.S. Hockey League, never took the bait and will not be coming. Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson has dropped him from the list.

"Kolasau is not coming, so we dropped him," said Thompson, whose team faces the Kelowna Rockets at CN Centre tonight.

With room for another import, Thompson has added 19-year-old centre Jakub Sindel, who played for the Czech Republic in the world juniors, picking up one assist in six games. He has been playing with Sparta Prague and Plzen HC this season, but last year was a Brandon Wheat King, where he piled up 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 35 games.

In the playoffs, the six-foot, 172-pound Sindel had seven goals in 24 games for the Wheaties. Brandon dropped him because he stated his intention to return home, but word has circulated that he wants to come back to Canada.

"Any time you can make your team better, you certainly do that," Thompson said of the effort to land Sindel, a second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2004 (54th overall).

"He played in Brandon last year, played pro in Europe this year, and he's over here right now. It doesn't hurt to ask what he wants to do. There are some things we don't know yet."

Fred Wikner is the only import currently on the Prince George roster. Russian centre Alex Alexandrov was released in October. A year ago, the Cougars made a similar move to what is being attempted with Sindel when Petr Jelinek was listed and brought to Prince George.

If the Cougars can get Sindel, it may answer the Kamloops Blazers -- according to the Kamloops Daily News, the Blazers are after 18-year-old Czech winger Martin Hanzal, a Phoenix Coyotes first-round pick. Hanzal's rights are held by the Regina Pats, who already have two imports.

• Thompson said there is a chance the Cougars will trade the rights to winger Blair Stengler, the 19-year-old who walked out on the team in November.

Stengler has practiced with the SJHL's Melville Millionaires, but has not played for them. He has enrolled in the University of Regina, but told Thompson he'd consider going to another team if a trade is worked out.

"I've had some calls on Blair, and we've talked a few times through the holidays," said Thompson.

"He's going to start university unless I can get something done in the next little while. He said to me on Christmas Eve that he'd like to play in the league, and I told him I'd try to accommodate him."

Thompson said trade talks have not heated up as of yet.

"It's quiet, but maybe now that the world juniors is over it will get going some more," said Thompson.

• The Cougars aren't the only team dealing with the anxiety of the trade deadline.

The Rockets certainly appeared tentative in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Cougars. While no coach in the league will admit players are worried about Tuesday's deadline, Kelowna bench boss Jeff Truitt is offering a familiar refrain to his players -- don't worry about things you can't control.

"There's lots of chatter out there, and it's tough on everybody, but they have to look after what's on the ice," said Truitt.

"The trade talks didn't affect what happened on the ice (Wednesday). It was our willingness to battle harder at key times in the game was the difference."

• Cougars defenceman Jesse Dudas remains two weeks away from returning to action, Thompson said Thursday. There is improvement in the leg bruise that has kept him out since before Christmas.

• There was a trade in the WHL on Thursday. The Prince Albert Raiders moved centre Brad Erickson, 20, to the Spokane Chiefs for a sixth-round bantam choice in the 2007 draft.

• The Kamloops Blazers are expected to have captain Reid Jorgensen in the lineup tonight when they host the Red Deer Rebels at Interior Savings Centre. Jorgensen missed 17 games with a broken jaw, and had 19 points in 24 games when he went down.

Triton
01-06-2006, 03:21 PM
I wish Sindel would come back to us.Maybe if the Cougars picked up Sindel,you could trade him to us for Wikner so he could be with his brother.Whatever does happen if you get Jakub,he's a game breaker and a very skilled player.I wish he would have stayed with us,cause he's that kind of impact player.

Homer
01-06-2006, 04:49 PM
They must have a decent shot at Sindel or I don't think this would've made the papers today. I guess time will tell.

Sput
01-06-2006, 05:01 PM
They have to decide by Tuesday, so we don't have to wait to long. Hopefully Sindel will come here, and play as well as he has been advertised. It would be nice to have two euro's that can play, and will play, here.