Expansion Draft Preview

Players Exposed for Pickup
Written by Eddie Menzei on 30/06/07

As the deadline came and went for RHL teams to submit their protection list for the upcoming expansion draft, some players that are left exposed will not be worried about calling Vulcan, Alberta their new home for the upcoming RHL season.

"It is nothing new to me (to be left unprotected)" said Stingers forward Randy Robitaille. "You just have to be ready when you get the phone call, and be prepared to move on".

The Stingers will have eleven players available for the MindMelds to choose from, including Robitaille. Although most of these players will have played their last games in Grande Prairie, some may still be re-signed in the off season to asisst a young team that needs veteran leadership.

"There have been discussions about bringing a couple of the guys back to provide some stability," said GM Mike Leung "but we will be patient, and will look at a few options when our budget is finalized".

Exposed Players:
R.Robitaille, C
T.Green, C
R.Johnson, C
Vigier, RW
Wilson, RW
O'Donnell, D
Poapst, D
Pilar, D
B.Ference, D
Stafford, D
B.Boucher, G

Dispersal Draft News

Stingers nabs Defenceman
Written by Eddie Menzei on 27/06/07

The Stingers came away with an important piece to their future puzzle as they selected Defenceman Mike Green from the RHL Dispersal Draft. Armed with the 8th pick at the draft, Stingers management believed that they came up with the best player available when they made their selection.

"We were looking to solidify our back end the whole time," said chief scout Ben Wiebe. " He is still quite young, but we felt that he has the upside to become a good player for us in the near future".

Currently listed at 6'1, and 198lbs, Green is a feisty offensive minded defenceman who is comp0sed with the puck, and posesses great vision. His fluid skating, and puck moving ability made him a player that the Stingers have targeted since his RHL draft year.

"We had him ranked quite high in our expansion year, and was hoping that he would drop to us with our second pick" said GM Kosoo Ng. Green did not make it that far, as he was selected by the Washington Defiance, nine picks after the Stingers took Alex Ovechkin in the RHL 15 entry draft.

Green will come to the Stingers as a very promising young defender, but he still rather raw for a team that desperately needs consistency on the blue line. If Green can round out his game, and develop quickly in the minors, it will not be long before he is counted on to log big minutes on the back end alongside another former WHL defenceman, Barrett Jackman.