From The Daily News of Friday, Aug. 24, 2007 . . .
The Kamloops Blazers’ goaltending picture got a bit cloudy Thursday when the
WHL team acquired veteran Justin Leclerc from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
In exchange, Kamloops surrendered its second-round pick in the 2008 bantam
draft. Holding two third- and two fourth-round picks in that draft, Blazers
GM/head coach Dean Clark felt comfortable giving up a second-round selection
in the exchange.
Leclerc, an 18-year-old from Saskatoon who was the 46th pick in the 2005
draft, is preparing for his third WHL season. In 2005-06, he was 10-12-6
with a 3.32 GAA and a .896 save percentage. Last season, the 6-foot-0,
180-pounder was 15-17-3 with a 3.62 GAA and .872 save percentage.
“He was really good as a 16-year-old,” Clark said, “and he had some problems
last season . . . he had (mononucleosis) in February.
“But he really battled Justin Pogge (and the Calgary Hitmen) as a
16-year-old in the playoffs, going 2-2 and losing twice in overtime. So he
has some experience.
“He has played in more than 70 games in two years.”
LeClerc was on the Canadian U-18 team that won the Junior World Cup (now the
Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament) in Slovakia last summer. He was 1-0 with a
2.25 GAA and a .885 save percentage in 80 minutes. The other goaltender was
Trevor Cann of the Peterborough Petes.
Leclerc’s acquisition proves the Blazers with more options.
It allows the coaching staff to look at having a veteran backup to
20-year-old Dustin Butler.
And it allows them to look at their 20-year-olds in a different light. When
main camp opens Sunday, they will have five on hand — Butler, defencemen
Ryan Bender and Ryan White, and centres Brock Nixon and Brady Mason.
The favourites for the three 20-year-old spots, at least prior to yesterday
afternoon, were Butler, Bender and Nixon. LeClerc’s arrival gives Clark the
option of moving Butler should the club want to keep White, who is coming
off a particularly solid season.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are left with Mike Maniago, 19, whom they
acquired from the Blazers a year ago, and 2007 import draft pick Juha
Metsola, ,18, as their top two goaltenders going into camp.