Americans Deal List Players

[Beaner]

from www.whl.ca

Americans Deal List Players
Created: Jun 2, 2006

+ Enlarge Kennewick, WA – The Tri-City Americans today have traded a pair of 17-year-old forwards, sending Lucas Bloodoff to the Kelowna Rockets and Colton Grant to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Both players had refused to report to the Americans expressing a desire to play closer to home.

Bloodoff who makes his home in Castlegar, British Columbia was dealt to the Rockets for a third round draft pick in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. Bloodoff was originally a 6th round pick in the 2004 Bantam Draft.

Grant, a native of Standard, Alberta was traded to the Tigers for a second round pick in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. He was originally a second round draft choice by the Americans in the 2004 Bantam Draft.

“With our success signing our top picks over the last two years acquiring draft picks and building our franchise around these age groups makes a lot of sense,” said Americans governor/general manager Bob Tory. “With both Grant and Bloodoff refusing to play in the Tri-Cities it was important to get assets which can be used to acquire quality players either through the bantam draft or by trade.”

With these deals, the Americans now have two draft picks in the second, third, seventh and eighth rounds in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft.

[Stay-Puft]

Its starting to get a little frustrating with the fact that we now have (3) offensive-minded players get selected by the Ams (Toews, Grant, and Bloodoff), and all have refused to report to stay closer to home. And the one thing we are defenitly lacking is offensive firepower.

At least we got something (potentially) for the latest refusals in a 2nd and 3rd round pick in next year's draft. But it could take a couple of years to find out. Good luck to both players.

[ihlemic10]

Thats miserable. The ego of some teens, as it is, Spoke might have the same problem.

[dondo]

Bloodoff who makes his home in Castlegar, British Columbia was dealt to the Rockets for a third round draft pick in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. Bloodoff was originally a 6th round pick in the 2004 Bantam Draft.

this is what I have been talking about - how is Castlegar that much closer to Medicine Hat than the Tri-Cities??? Now if they demanded a trade to Kelowna, or Kamloops then I'd accept it (grudingly but at least could understand), but frankly this kind of thing is utter bullsh*t and the teams that have this problem aren't going to get any better if their players keep jumping ship.

I say play for who drafted you or suffer fines and possible suspensions and get the weasel agents out of the mix and frankly imnsho the families should have no say either. If those teams wanted you they would have drafted you. How do the backwater markets get quality players to saty and grow their franchises when there's this kind of thing going on.

Once again I say its time for the league to step in and make it clear what is expected and picking and choosing your teams (just because) is not an option. This "i wanna be closer to home" dodge is gettting pretty damn stale in my mind.

I know I'm a hard-liner on this subject, but the more I read about this kind of thing the more irritated I get. My team seems to be one of the places these guys will deign to come to, but frankly WE DON'T WANT YOU - capice??

For any players who read this - we don't want a baby playing on our team who can't be away more than six hours away from his family without getting the shakes) - play for who drafted you or don't play simple as that - and goes for all the Lindroses and other similar whiny b*tches out there I'm sick of these guys that play a freaking game for a living whining about how hard done by they are - grow up.

Yes i know they don't really get paid at this level - yadayada - but they are hoping to make this a career where 'playing where they send you' is part of the package - so they need to learn about it now. So for the players think about how you can HELP the team which drafted you, how can contribute to the whole, not how far your mommy's apron strings are away from you.

And a person only truly grows when they are away from their formative influences and have to learn to make those decisions on their own, in a new envioronment.

Sorry this is such a rant Ams fans as I think it sucks that you have to deal with this kind of dynamic, but the more I read about this particular "strategy" the more I think the league has to come in and set some sort of limits.

Also with these particular guys - 17 year olds?? did they play for the Ams last season? from a sixth round pick yet - cause if they did this dodge is even dodgier - refusing to report has to be the lamest excuse ever and the players that choose to do so should pack their bags and go home right now cause no NHL team is ever going to want you - or the headache.

[SectionNDeserter]

Bloodoff who makes his home in Castlegar, British Columbia was dealt to the Rockets for a third round draft pick in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. Bloodoff was originally a 6th round pick in the 2004 Bantam Draft.

this is what I have been talking about - how is Castlegar that much closer to Medicine Hat than the Tri-Cities??? Now if they demanded a trade to Kelowna, or Kamloops then I'd accept it

If I read that right, he did go to Kelowna...

[SectionNDeserter]

I say play for who drafted you or suffer fines and possible suspensions

If the player doesn't play for the team, they aren't in the WHL--making it tough for the WHL to punish the players. As far as punishing the players, the hockey gods always seem to wind up punishing such bad karma (See Eric Lindros), but that doesn't quite help the teams that the players have left in the lurch.

[Stay-Puft]

Neither player played in the Tri-Cities last year. I don't know if the Ams tried, but Bloodoff was here for training camp aand was one of the best skaters out there. Grant, however, was not here for training camp.

And Bloodoff was traded to Kelowna, it is Grant that was traded to Medicine Hat. At least the team was able to get something for these players that might make the team stronger, instead of holding onto their rights, only for the players to go somewhere other than the dub.

[dondo]

^ yeah I see that now - I thought both players went to Medicine Hat - d'oh

jeez and in the middle of good rant too.

and you are right about the players who don't show up aren't in the WHL, but they are if they want to play for another team in the league. I just find it frustrating to see this kind of thing happening - and although it doesn't affect me directly it takes away the ability of small market teams to grow and compete and that's not good for the league as a whole.