The Saskatoon Blades may be down to three 20-year-olds, but nothing is official. Still, there is this from the blog of Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades after they picked up LW Ondrej Fiala, 20, from the Everett Silvertips and dealt LW Dustin Cameron, 18, to the Prince Albert Raiders for D John Flatters, 20: “I, for one, like the moves. While I would've liked to see Saskatoon kids like Curtis Patterson, Michael Kaye and Dustin Cameron succeed with their home team . . . I wish them all the best wherever their hockey careers now take them.” . . . Sounds like Patterson, a defenceman, and Kaye, a right winger, are the odd men out in the 20-year-old game in Saskatoon. . . . That would leave the Blades with Fiala, Flatters and C Chris Durand as the three 20s. . . . Fiala and Finnish D Jyri Niemi, 17, are the Blades’ imports. . . .
According to the Brandon Sun, the Wheat Kings picked up Slovakian RW Robert Brandis, 19, after he was released by Saskatoon. Therefore it wasn’t a trade, meaning nothing went the other way. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have four 20-year-olds but it’s believed G David Reekie (mononucleosis) is on the 60-day injury list. The Silvertips will go with D Dane Crowley, D Dan Gendur and LW Brennan Sonne and then be faced with a decision when Reekie is eligible to return. . . .
Great quote from Red Deer Rebels head coach Brian Sutter after his club gave up RW Matt Fraser, 17, and a 2008 fifth-round bantam pick for LW Clayton Bauer, 20. “To get something you have to give up something,” Sutter told the Red Deer Advocate. “Teams should be trying to make a good trade; they shouldn’t be trying to put the screws to each other.” . . . Which is a great theory that is rarely practised in the WHL. . . . Sutter added: “Kootenay wanted a good 17-year-old who would be a regular, not necessarily this year but over the next two years, and we were looking for a 20-year-old to help some of our younger guys get over the hump.” . . .
A look at each team’s 20-year-old situation as Thursday’s deadline approaches (Edmonton, as an expansion team, is allowed to keep five; all other teams may keep three):
BRANDON (4): C Tyler Dittmer, D Daryl Boyle, D Mark Louis, D Theran Yeo.
CALGARY (2): D Ryan Gillen, D Dan Mercer.
CHILLIWACK (3): LW Brandon Campos, D Dylan Chapman, D Nick Holden.
EDMONTON (5): G Alex Archibald, D Michael Hengen, LW Karey Pieper, D Bretton Stamler, D Matt Swaby.
EVERETT (4): D Dane Crowley, C Dan Gendur, G David Reekie (injured), LW Brennan Sonne.
KAMLOOPS (3): D Ryan Bender, C Brock Nixon, D Ryan White.
KELOWNA (4): RW Brady Leavold, LW James McEwan, D Lyon Messier, G Kris Westblom.
KOOTENAY (3): C Steve Da Silva, D Chad Greenan, D Paul Kurceba.
LETHBRIDGE (3): C Jacob Dietrich, C Yashar Farmanara, RW Luke Wiens.
MEDICINE HAT (2): RW Jerrid Sauer, C Daine Todd.
MOOSE JAW (3): LW Terrance Delaronde, G Joey Perricone, LW Keith Voytechek.
PORTLAND (3): RW Nick Hotson, LW Frazer McLaren, LW Kevin Undershute.
PRINCE ALBERT (3): G Dustin Butler, D Mike Gauthier, D Jeff May.
PRINCE GEORGE (3): G Real Cyr, C Greg Gardner, D Kalvin Sagert.
RED DEER (2): LW Clayton Bauer, RW J.D. Watt.
REGINA (2): C Tim Kraus, LW Troy Ofukany.
SASKATOON (5): C Chris Durand, D John Flatters, LW Ondrej Fiala, RW Michael Kaye, D Curtis Patterson.
SEATTLE (3): D Scott Jackson, RW Ian McKenzie, D Benn Olson.
SPOKANE (3): C Judd Blackwater, C Chris Bruton, C David Rutherford.
SWIFT CURRENT (3): LW Erik Felde, D R.J. LaRochelle, D Michael Wilson.
TRI-CITY (3): D T.J. Fast, C Shaun Vey, LW Colton Yellow Horn.
VANCOUVER (2): C Mario Bliznak, LW Garet Hunt.