Four more OHL trades completed on Wednesday

NEWS RELEASES

BRAMPTON BATTALION NIAGARA ICEDOGS BELLEVILLE BULLS GUELPH STORM

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Battalion gets Day, Merrett in trades

BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Brampton Battalion acquired overage defenceman Josh Day and right winger Andrew Merrett in two Ontario Hockey League trades Wednesday with the Niagara IceDogs.

The Battalion first swapped rookie right winger Michael Hasson and its third-round pick in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection for Day and Niagara’s seventh-round choice this year. The Troops then obtained the 19-year-old Merrett for their fifth-round selection in 2011.

Day, a six-foot-one, 190-pound resident of St. John’s, Nfld., has 10 assists in 20 games this season. A second-round choice by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 2004 OHL Priority Selection, he hasn’t played since Dec. 6 because of a groin injury.

“I’ve been out for a month now, but I’m all healed and ready to go,” Day said via telephone. “I’m definitely familiar with the Battalion. This is a good team with a lot of offence. I’m excited to be coming there and helping them.”

Stan Butler, the Battalion director of hockey operations and head coach, who consummated the deals two days before the trade deadline of noon Friday, said Day's experience will be invaluable.

“He’s a defenceman who’ll really help our team. He’s one of the top players in the plus-minus category every year, and we feel he can help us offensively. He’ll help settle down our back end.”

Now in his fifth OHL season, Day had five assists in 43 games with Sault Ste. Marie in 2004-05 and 2005-06 before being traded to the then-Mississauga IceDogs during the latter season. He has OHL career totals of 10 goals and 87 assists for 97 points in 227 games with 252 penalty minutes. In three playoff years, one with the Greyhounds and two with the IceDogs, he has five assists in 16 games with 22 penalty minutes.

“I’m a strong defensive player who can move the puck and skate with it,” said Day. “I think I have offensive ability and I can bring leadership as an older player.”

Day, a left shot who turns 21 on April 2, becomes the oldest player on the Battalion roster. The Troops’ only other overager is right winger Jason Dale, who celebrated his 20th birthday Dec. 31.

Merrett, a six-foot-two, 195-pound Ottawa resident, this season has eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 35 games with 22 penalty minutes. A fifth-round pick by the IceDogs in 2005, he has 36 goals and 59 assists for 95 points in 200 career games with 87 penalty minutes. He has played 15 postseason games over two years, with one goal and three assists for four points with six penalty minutes.

“He’s in his fourth season and he’s a big, strong player,” noted Butler. “He was good last season, and we think that playing with the right guys he can be a good addition to our team.”

Hasson, an Ariss, Ont., resident who was a ninth-round pick in 2007, has one goal and two assists for three points in 27 games.

“It’s another opportunity for me,” said Hasson, 17. “I have to take advantage of it and look at the positives. It’s not like I got sent down to junior A or junior B.”

Hasson has played one year of summer hockey under Niagara coach Mario Cicchillo.

“He’s a good coach, and I like him a lot. I know some guys on that team, and it should be a good experience.”

Said Butler: “Hasson will be a good player down the road. He was a guy Niagara really coveted.”

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Dogs Busy As Trade Deadline Approaches

As the trade deadline quickly approaches (Friday January 9th at 12:00 p.m), Niagara IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown has been a busy man.

In the first trade of the day, the Dogs acquired 19-year-old goaltender Jeremy Smith and 20-year-old right winger Patrick Lee from the Plymouth Whalers, in exchange for a 2nd Rd. pick and an 8th Rd. pick in 2010 (the 8th round pick is the pick acquired from the London Knights in the Scott Fletcher trade), as well as a 4th Rd. pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection.

Smith, a native of Brownstown, Michigan was originally selected by Plymouth in the fourth-round (64th overall) in the 2005 OHL Draft and is currently in his third season in the OHL. In 96 career games with the Whalers, Smith compiled a 3.15 goals against average, .911 save percentage, seven shutouts and a 49-30-3-4 won-loss record. Smith also played a major role on the Whalers OHL Championship team in the 2006-07 Season.

In the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Smith was selected in the second round (54th overall) by the Nashville Predators. He later signed with Predators. As well, in 2008, Smith was a member of Team USA that competed in the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Patrick Lee is an overage forward, who has scored 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 37 games played this season with Plymouth. Lee was originally selected by Erie in the 6th round (109th overall) of the 2004 OHL Draft and played two seasons with the Otters, scoring 10 goals with 20 assists for 30 points in 119 games.

In the second trade of the day, the IceDogs sent overage defenceman Josh Day to the Brampton Battalion and a 7th Rd. pick in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection, in exchange for forward Michael Hasson and a third-round pick in the 2009 OHL Draft.

Hasson is a 17 year old rookie and he has played in twenty-seven games this season for the Battalion, registering one goal and two assists.

In the third trade of the day, the Dogs sent 19-year-old forward Andrew Merrett to the Brampton Battalion for a 5th Rd. pick in 2011.

The Niagara IceDogs are thrilled to have Smith, Lee and Hasson join the team, and we look forward to seeing them in action tomorrow night as the Dogs take on the Barrie Colts, at 7:30 p.m at the Gatorade Garden City Complex.

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Bulls Acquire Luke Pither from Guelph

The Belleville Bulls have acquired veteran forward Luke Pither from the Guelph Storm. In return, Belleville sends Kitchener’s second round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection to Guelph.

Pither is in his fourth OHL season and has scored a career high16 goals and added 14 assists in 41 games played this season. Last season with Guelph, Pither recorded 13 goals and 42 points in 51 games played. The Burketon, Ontario native began his OHL career with Kingston in 2005.

”We’ve liked Luke since the day he was drafted and are happy to welcome him to our organization” commented Bulls General Manager and Head Coach George Burnett. “Luke brings a wealth of experience along with strong speed and skill to our lineup.”

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Storm Acquire 2nd Round Pick

The Guelph Storm announced that they have acquired a second round pick in the 2010 Priority Selection from the Belleville Bulls for forward Luke Pither.

Pither was originally selected by the Kingston Frontenacs in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 2005 OHL Priority Selection. He was acquired by the Storm from the Frontenacs in a three-team deal including the Windsor Spitfires for Jason Guy and Jonathan Sciacca (Windsor) on October 19, 2006.

In 144 games with the Storm, the Burketon native recorded 44 goals and 56 assists for 100 points.

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