Pats/Hitmen Trade

[patsfan33]

http://www.reginapats.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=662

PATS & HITMEN SWAP FORWARDS

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Pats have shipped 18-year old forward Ian Duval to the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for another 18-year old forward, Mike Reich. Duval (6’0”, 180lb), the native of Winnipeg, MB, had collected 3 goals and 5 assists in 13 games with the Pats this season. Last year, Duval finished 9th on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points. Duval had been a member of the Pats since the 2004-05 season, in which he collected 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points in his rookie campaign.

In exchange for Duval, the Pats receive forward Mike Reich, a native of Craik, SK. Reich (5’11”, 192lb) has appeared in 11 games for the Hitmen this season, gathering 1 assist, along with 32 penalty minutes. Reich began his career with the Spokane Chiefs in 2004-05, before being traded to the Calgary Hitmen early last season. In 54 games with the Hitmen last year, Reich had 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points, along with 133 penalty minutes.

Ian Duval Mike Reich
6’0”, 180lb 5’11”, 192lb
Winnipeg, MB Craik, SK
May 7th, 1988 May 31st, 1988
2006-07 Stats: 2006-07 Stats:
GP: 14 GP: 11
G: 3 G: 0
A: 5 A: 1
P: 8 P: 1
PIM: 12 PIM: 32

“Mike is a skilled player that also has some bite to his game, and we felt we needed to add some grit to our line-up” commented Pats General Manager Brent Parker. “Ian has been a positive member of our team for three years and we wish him all the best in Calgary.”

Duval and Reich were both selected in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft. Reich was selected by Spokane in the 1st round, 8th overall; while Duval went in the 7th round, 131st overall to the Pats. The two were also teammates on Team Western, which captured gold at the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Lethbridge, AB. Duval had 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 games during the tournament, while Reich collected 2 assists.




:confused: ....so uh why did we do this? we need someone who can rack up points, not minutes in the box ...oh well guess we'll see how this one pans out

[witness]

I kind of thought there was something in the works for Duval. I wish him the best in Calgary. Lots of speed and has a huge up side offensively, we just never saw it here in regular season.

[JDubb]

This trade doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but maybe there were dressing room issues that we don't know of. Potentially something else is in the works that will make this trade make more sense.

Hopefully it works out for the best

[patsdude114]

I kinda like this deal, Duval has only shown protential and we never really seen any of it. Hopfully under Kisio he can show that he can be a scorer in this league. Our team needed a shake up after a terrible road trip that went 1-4. If were going to be a team to beat in the east division we need guys to step up and start playing how there capable. Reich will bring a little added grit to our team that might be able to get the guys going, turn this ship around.

But I also agree with you too we need a guy who can score. Sure Eberle has 10 goals, Bernhardt and Festerling have 6 apiece, can we count on a 16yr old to carry the ship in the goal scoring tho. My guess is NO im sure Eberle will have some UPs and Downs this season (so far hes having alot of UPs) we cant forget that he is only 16. I know its still very early in the season and not many teams as of yet will be willing to give up a player with a offensive upside. So far the only team falling out quickly is the Lethbridge Hurricanes, there division is very tough this season again.

I personally dont think this will be all the deals we will make this month I can see at least 1 more coming once were out on our road trip to BC

[nivek_wahs]

I really don't have much to say about this...

Many Pats fans (myself included) had Duval having a breakout year this year but it hasn't happened, I guess the expectations were too high or something. And I don't know what goes on behind closed doors but Duval had been playing sparingly recently and was even a healthy (I believe) scratch for a couple of games. I'm not even going to speculate on what is/was happening but hopefully it works out well for Duval in Calgary. Good luck Ian :wave: .

And as I know very little about Reich other than he is a sparkplug type of player... Welcome to Regina Mike :clap:

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

Im not gonna lie. I think this was a ****ty trade. I was very disappointed when I first heard this, because I think that the hitmen easily won this trade. Looking at this trade by calgarys perspective, they give away someone who was not fitting into the lineup(offensively at least), in exchange for another offensive player to add to their huge depth they have now. Calgary can fit 2 lines with players that got at least .50 points per game last year. However, from our, we give away a player who has been decent so far, and who could do alot better, for what appears to defensive forward, or a gritty smallish forward.

Duval was playing great in the preseason, and it was only a matter of time before he got back where he left off and started lighting it up again. Just watch him do that in calgary now. I was willing to give him more time, he had flashes of his potential, but Parker knows what he is doing, and I guess I will trust his judgement.

This reich character, however, isnt what I expected in return for someone like Duval. He doesnt seem very offensive and has alot of penalties to start, but I dont know very much about him. Maybe he is one of those fast guys who can hit, perhaps he will fit well into the lineup.

Good luck to duval in calgary, Sad to see him go. I thought he could do great things here. I expect he will play great for the hitmen.

Edit: I just noticed it was my 300th post, and thought it was worth mentioning. :clap:

[witness]

I am not against the trade. It was time for Duval to go (he may have even requested a trade). He has slowly worked (or not worked) his way down the Pats' depth chart. From second line center with PP and PK time to a healthy scratch. He is capable of scoring, but isn't. He could have contributed by using his speed to be a penalty killer, but instead he has stopped moving his feet and taking hooking penalties. He is in Hunt's dog house and doesn't seem to want to work his way out. His play of late is nothing more than uninspired. He really was in need of a change of scenery. For his sake, I hope it works out well.

Don't undersell Reich. If he is anything like his brother, the Pats have picked up a useful player. He was a very good midget player, Calgary's team style and comitment to older players may have held him back. He likes to get his nose dirty and he will go to the net. The Pats need to get more players willing to pay the price of going to the net.

The bottom line is that moving Duval will give more icetime to Eberle, Hulak, and Ryan MacDonald. And they have all earned their ice time, at least in my eyes.

[Dwight Schrute]

reich will fill the void left by fuder imo. personally i think regina could use some more grit. hopefully this trade will get each kid more ice and a better opportunity to develop and excel

[Pats11]

Reich is very much like Fuder and I think this was a key to the Pats getting him, he is a smaller guy but has knockout power when he fights and will definately help out the Pats in the toughness department.

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

Duval gets an assist in his first game as a hitman. Even though it was against a keetley-less tiger squad, it is still a decent start.

[nivek_wahs]

Don't undersell Reich. If he is anything like his brother, the Pats have picked up a useful player. He was a very good midget player, Calgary's team style and comitment to older players may have held him back. He likes to get his nose dirty and he will go to the net. The Pats need to get more players willing to pay the price of going to the net.I agree... One thing that the Pats seem to be missing is the grit factor. They really have no Fuder or Sievert types of players... the ones that are willing to get involved. I think the addition of Reich will help in that department. I have notice Lind getting involved more but that's just not enough. I think Reich will be a welcomed addition to the Pats line-up. Sometimes to get what you want(or need) you have to give something up.


The bottom line is that moving Duval will give more icetime to Eberle, Hulak, and Ryan MacDonald. And they have all earned their ice time, at least in my eyes.That I would have to agree with as well... you can add Jagow to that mix... He's been looking better all the time.

Reich might see more valuable minutes as Hulak is out with a shoulder injury.

I will wait and see how this trade pans out over the next bit before I can conclusively name a "winner".

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.reginapats.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=665


Happy homecoming for Craik's Reich

Greg Harder, Leader-Post
Published: Friday, November 03, 2006

It would be a monumental understatement to say Mike Reich is pleased to be the newest member of the Regina Pats.

"I can't even put into words how excited I am," he said after being acquired from the Calgary Hitmen for Ian Duval. "I've been wanting to play here since I was 15 years old. I'm ecstatic!"

The trade amounts to a swap of underachieving 18-year-old centremen. Reich was a top prospect in the 2003 WHL bantam draft -- selected eighth overall by the Spokane Chiefs -- but has yet to fulfill that billing at the major-junior level.

Duval, a seventh-rounder in the same draft, never lived up to the raw potential he showed as a rookie in 2004-05. The speedy centre led the Pats in preseason scoring each of the past two years, yet was unable to carry that success into the regular schedule.

Duval finished with 11 goals and 23 assists in 64 games last season. This year, he recorded three goals and five assists after 14 games -- plus two healthy scratches.

"I don't think he has been poor but we hoped we would see a little bit more," said GM Brent Parker. "Maybe a fresh start will be good for him. Mike is a guy we've always liked and I think he's going to be a real good fit."

Reich had requested a trade from the Hitmen, feeling he was under-utilized. In 54 games with Calgary last season, the Craik native had seven goals and seven assists for 14 points, along with 133 penalty minutes.

Reich appeared in 11 games this season, registering one assist and 32 penalty minutes.

"I thought I'd be going to a weaker team," he said Thursday. "Coming here, we've played them twice this year and they have an unbelievable team. It's just a matter of time before they start clicking. When I got the call this morning from Brent, it was unreal. I couldn't stop shaking. I smiled the whole way up here. I'm still smiling."

The Pats will have a similar reaction if Reich develops into the kind of player they believe he can become.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder has been called a Darcy Tucker clone.

"He's my favourite guy for sure," said Reich. "I kind of model everything after him. He's putting up some numbers now so hopefully I can be like him."

Reich feels like he wasn't given the freedom -- or the icetime -- to display his offensive talents in the past.

The Pats insist that will soon change.

"He's a guy who has maybe gotten so caught up in trying to be tough to play against that he hasn't used the talents he's got," noted Parker. "He was a gifted player (in minor hockey) -- still is. We want him to combine those two a little bit more. We're hoping he'll still be abrasive but be able to chip in some offensively too. We see his real value coming down the stretch and at playoff time, in those scratch-'em-out, claw-'em-out games where you have to go to places like Moose Jaw or Brandon where they're difficult buildings to win in."

Clearly, that's not the kind of style that suited the talents of Duval, whose blazing speed made him one of the Pats' most-exciting performers. However, his lack of a finishing touch also made him a frustrating player to watch.

"I think as much as anything it was about a need that we were looking for," Parker said of the trade. "(Duval and Reich) are in similar age groups, but they're completely different players. We've felt for a while that we needed to get a little more bite in our lineup. We've been looking for that type of player. We just think he's a perfect fit. It's more about that than a case of Ian not reaching his potential."

[patsdude114]

Reading in the Paper today and the way Parker was talking about both these players "underachieving 18-year-old centremen" he couldnt of said it any better about Duval. Duval would tear it up in the preseason and then take a step back. I remember Duval as a 16yr old rookie he was playing alongside Rypien and Hill and Duval put up points (as he should of) last season in preseason I dont really remember who he played with and not sure how many points he put up either, but i do remember he stood out. This past preseason he and Eberle stole the show both recording (which i believe is right or really close anyways) 12 pts, come regular season tho Duval hasnt really showed up much, he had spurts where he really wanted the puck and would go with it, but there was more times then not that he didnt really wanna work like he was in preseason.

I think change is great for Duval, and for Reich. Reich has a chance to be more offensive like he was in minor hockey which got him drafted in the 1st round in 2003 Bantam draft.

Lets see what Reich can do in 5 games with his new teammates before we jump on him saying he isnt a offensive type player like Duval.