(Richard Petersen/submitted photo)

By Clark Stork

Deadline Day

Hawks get younger on deadline day

Jan 10, 2022 | 9:12 PM

The Nipawin Hawks lineup will look different when the team finally returns to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 15.

Since being placed under COVID-19 protocol and shutting down team activities due to the virus and several positive tests, the team has undergone lineup changes through trades.

Over the weekend the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) club made two deals.

In one transaction, Nipawin sent 19-year-old forward Brody Wilson to the Virden Oil Capitals for Bryden Kiesman, another 2002 born forward. Acting General Manager Tad Kozun said the move was a good one for all parties involved.

“Brody is a good kid and a good player,” Kozun said to northeastNOW following the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) trade deadline on Monday. “You have to give up something to get something, he was something they (Virden) wanted, and he gets to move an hour from home, so it helps him too.”

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“With Kiesman we’re bringing in a guy with a little bit of Western Hockey League (WHL) experience playing down in Moose Jaw. The skillset he’s got is something we are after. We need a way to find goals and we think he’s a guy that comes in and scores some goals for us.”

Wilson, from Birtle, Man. had eight goals and six assists in 38 games with the Hawks over last year’s shortened campaign and the 2021-2022 season.

Kiesman played 52 games for the WHL’s Warriors scoring once and adding five assists. This season with Virden in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) the Winnipeg product has four goals and six assists in 25 games played.

The Hawks also announced the trade of captain Mkyllan Couture to the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Jan. 6.

Kozun said moving your leader isn’t easy but bringing in 17-year-old defenseman Tre Fouquette with three more years of junior eligibility was hard to pass up. The Warman product played under-18 AAA with Kozun’s alma mater, the Prince Albert Mintos which made the move more appealing.

“When you get a report from them that he’s a great kid and a great player it’s something that we really looked at. When you give up Mkyllan it’s tough, he’s our captain, a heart-and-soul guy. When you can gain three years for a guy it’s something you have to look at and we’re very happy to have Tre in our lineup,” Kozun said.

Fouquette played 10 games with the Prince Albert Raiders over the last two seasons. With La Ronge he dressed for 12 games and chipped in with five assists.

Couture played in 67 games for the Hawks accumulating four goals and 15 assists. He already played for La Ronge on the weekend collecting an assist and being named the third star in a 4-2 Ice Wolves win over the Yorkton Terriers.

On Monday, the Hawks announced three more transactions.

Andrew Schaab, the team’s current leading scorer was traded to Kindersley for 18-year-old defenseman Brendan Lee. Kozun said Schaab has been a pillar of the Hawks since being recruited out of St. Brieux, but rebuilding involves moving players of Schaab’s abilities.

“Getting a guy of Brendan’s calibre was something we couldn’t pass up. To bring him into the group that we’re building back there gives him a great opportunity and a chance to run with it. There is going to be a good battle on the back end for playing time this year and next,” Kozun said.

“Schaaby did everything we asked of him, obviously our leading scorer right now, but like I said before you have to move something to get something so that was something that we had to move to get a little younger and add some depth to our blueline so we’re pretty happy with that.”

Kozun also sent 20-year-old defenseman Jack Michell to the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Junior Hockey League for a player development fee (PDF).

To fill the void left by Schaab among the forward group Nipawin acquired 18-year-old Abbotsford, British Columbia native Maquire Ratzlaff from the Melville Millionaires for a PDF. Michell was pointless in a dozen games for the Hawks, Ratzlaff has one assist in 11 games for Melville.

On the ice, the Hawks now have three games postponed due to COVID-19. Aside from the postponement of the Jan. 8 game against Yorkton the team’s games in North Battleford and Kindersley this week were also postponed.

Melville is slated to visit the Centennial Arena on Saturday. Kozun said the Hawks had another positive test on Monday but should have a full lineup for Saturday’s matchup against the Millionaires.

The Hawks are in 10^th place in the SJHL standings, four points back of the final playoff spot with 22 games remaining. Kozun said the goal is to make the postseason and build on the immediate future of the club with help of the trades this past week.

“I’m happy with the guys we got and now we have only three 20-year-olds so it’s nice to see. Now we’re going to find out who wants to be a Nipawin Hawk and who doesn’t,” Kozun concluded.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork