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Sput
09-27-2006, 09:14 AM
Courtesy of: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/

Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Meaver demoted to BCHL
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

The Prince George Cougars made two transactions Tuesday that might as well have been rolled into one.

The Cats demoted unproductive veteran forward Kirk Meaver, 19, to the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL, and added winger Kyle Klym, a year younger than Meaver. Klym arrived in Prince George on Tuesday.

Klym, who has the distinction of being one of few players to ever be taken twice in the WHL’s bantam draft, costs the Cougars nothing since he was released by the Saskatoon Blades during training camp.

Klym, listed at six-foot-one and 184 pounds (other sources have him at 210 pounds) by the Cougars, is expected to come in and add energy and toughness to a Prince George forward group that is not short on skill. Asked to describe Klym in one word, Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson said: “willing.”

“He can come in here and be a physical presence — he’s a tougher kid, and we’ll expect some of that when needed,” said Thompson.

“He can be a buzz saw, roam around the ice and make it not very nice to play against him. Whether he puts up any numbers, that’s in his court, but he can add the element of being a tougher customer.”

The junior hockey life has been a roundabout affair for Klym, who was chosen in the third round, 55th overall, by the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2003. He was traded to Red Deer, where he suited up for six games last season, with no points and nine penalty minutes. He finished the year in his hometown playing for the MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints, scoring two goals, adding nine assists, and registering 88 penalty minutes in 28 games.

The Rebels dropped Klym during this year’s bantam draft, and the Saskatoon Blades used a 15th round selection to add his rights, then cut him during camp.

The moves keep the roster at 27 players, including two extra overagers and three injured players.

As for Meaver, he found the scoresheet in exhibition play but was ineffective during the opening weekend as the Cougars split home games with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Cougars got Meaver from the Tri-City Americans on Oct. 13, 2005, for defenceman Ryan Gillen.

“First off, Kirk is a good kid, and we gave him an opportunity here to try and resurrect his career from where it was in Tri-City,” said Thompson. “A year later, we feel we have younger guys coming along who need that icetime and it’s part of the game. I told him that at 18, you get a bit of a free pass, but at 19 you have to produce something. We hadn’t seen it.

“I put him out on the wire, but I think Vernon will be a good spot for him.”

Meaver, from Williams Lake, had five goals and three assists in 56 games for the Cougars last season. For his WHL career, spanning 165 games, he has 17 goals and 31 points, to go with a plus-6 rating and 64 penalty minutes.

Thompson said there has been no movement on the overage front, where the Cats have two over the league limit and must be down to three by Oct. 12. Forwards Eric Hunter, Brett Robertson and Jared Walker worked on the same line last weekend while goalie Scott Bowles and defenceman Curtis Cooper sat out.

“Maybe I need to try different bait, because I’m not getting any bites,” joked Thompson. “This is a tough situation for all involved. We have five guys here who can play in the league and contribute. I’m willing to wait a little bit. I don’t want to give anybody up for free like I did with Brett Parker last year.”