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Was assigned by the Canucks to Manitoba, but he is reportedly refusing to go and is instead going to report back to Seattle for his final year of Junior.
Also it is rumored the Giants are interested in making a trade for Gibbons, but the asking price is "too high".
All this according to Mojo radio 730.
Does the Birds have room for another 20 year old?
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Originally Posted by Jovorock
Funny you should ask. Just found this ont he Tbirds site. They have released D-man Kyle Fecho.
www.seattlethunderbirds.com
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T-Birds Announce 20-year old Players
Bridges, Johnson and Gibbons to suit up for T-Birds this season
Seattle, September 27, 2005 - Seattle Thunderbirds General Manager Russ Farwell today announced that goalie Bryan Bridges and forwards Tyler Johnson and Ryan Gibbons will be the three 20-year-old players that will suit up for the T- Birds in the 2005-06 season. Defenseman Kyle Fecho, the fourth 20-year-old on the T-Birds roster, has been released.
By league rule, each team is allowed only three 20- year-old players each season.
“This was a difficult decision because Kyle was a well thought of and positive member of our team,” said Farwell. “Using the overage positions to increase our size and scoring in the forward positions makes us a better team. We wish Kyle the best in the future and thank him for his contributions to the T-Birds.”
Bridges has played 173 career games in the WHL, 98 with the T-Birds. He was acquired in a trade with the Kootenay Ice in 2003-04. With the T-Birds, Bridges has a 50-39-4 record with 17 shutouts, a career save percentage of 90.6 percent and a goals against average of 2.15. He tied the league record for shutouts last season with 13.
Johnson was acquired this summer in a trade with the Red Deer Rebels. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round, 173rd overall, of the 2003 NHL draft. This summer he signed a three-year contract with the Flames. Johnson has career WHL numbers of 185 games played with 29 goals and 37 assists for 66 points.
Gibbons was originally drafted in the sixth round, 178th overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2003 NHL draft. He did not sign a contract with the Coyotes, but was invited to the training camp of the Vancouver Canucks this season. He returns to the T- Birds from the Canucks camp and will be in the lineup when the team takes on the Kamloops Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday night. In 227 career games with the T-Birds, Gibbons has 38 goals and 29 assists for 67 points with 306 penalty minutes.
In two seasons with the T-Birds, Fecho played 109 games and had two goals and 17 assists for 19 points with 73 penalty minutes.
The T-Birds play in Kamloops on Wednesday night against the Blazers. The home opener is on Saturday, October 1 at KeyArena at 7:05 p.m. Single game tickets to the home opener against the Blazers can be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet, online at www.seattlethunderbirds.com, at the T-Birds office and practice facility at Kingsgate Ice Arena in Kirkland or by calling 425-869-7825. Season and group tickets are also available by calling the T-Bird office at 206-448-PUCK.
This can be good for Seattle IF Gibby wants to step up in the same way Greg Black did for his 20 year old season. If he looks at this as a step down then we are going to have problems. We need someone to use their size out there.
I doubt he looks at this as a step down.
Gibbons decided to come to the Birds when he was assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
He couldn't have expected to crack the Canucks roster this year. So he had to know he was going to the AHL or Junior for this year. He picked Seattle.