Priestner off to Brandon

By MARK HUNTER
Daily News Sports Reporter
James Priestner admits that, once or twice over the last five days, he was a little worried.
Worried that he might not play another WHL game this season. Worried that he might have to wait around his Edmonton home for a few more days. Worried that there might not be another WHL team that wanted him.
Those worries turned out to be unfounded as Priestner, a 17-year-old goaltender, was traded Monday from the Kamloops Blazers to the Brandon Wheat Kings for a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft.
“I was pretty frustrated — I didn't know what was happening,” said Priestner, who went home on Wednesday to await a deal. “I didn't know if the deal fell through.
“It was relieving to hear this morning that the deal had been made and I could get on the road and on my way.”
Priestner knew a deal would be coming, and likely with the Wheat Kings. He just thought things would be done a little more quickly.
“I had been told about five times it would be the next day, the next day,” said Priestner, who was to stay in Regina last night before heading to Brandon this morning. “I thought I would be home a day or two tops.”
Kamloops is scheduled to play host to the Spokane Chiefs tonight, 7 o'clock, at Interior Savings Centre. The move leaves the Blazers with Justin Leclerc and backup Jon Groenheyde as their goaltender.
“When teams were looking at James, they were looking at his potential,” said Blazers general manager Craig Bonner. “He played last season, but he's still kind of unknown.”
The trade brought to an end a tumultuous career with the Blazers for Priestner. A second-round pick (31st overall) in the 2006 bantam draft, Priestner played one game as a 15-year-old before going 6-12-0-1 with a 3.41 GAA, .873 save percentage and two shutouts in 2007-08.
But his name will always be linked to his father's unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Blazers in the summer of 2007. Mike Priestner's bid came at the same time as River City Hockey — a group that comprises Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, who is the majority owner, and former Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor — made an offer.
The Blazers shareholders eventually voted to sell their assets to RCH. Less than a year after the sale went through, James Priestner was shipped as far away as the Blazers could send him.
“It probably had something to do with it,” Priestner said. “I'm sure that played a part, but I tried to stay out of that. That was my dad's decision, not mine.
“I don't know if that had a huge effect on me — maybe it did — but I'm just there to play hockey.”
Priestner entered the season with plenty of optimism — he had made a minor change to his game late last season and posted a 2.64 GAA and a .917 save percentage in his last six games. During that time, he posted a 35-shot shutout in a 1-0 victory over the host Prince George Cougars on March 8, which was the Blazers' only victory in their last 19 games.
When this season came around, Groenheyde, a 17-year-old who allowed only two goals and won his only start with the Blazers last season, had moved past him.
“We had three guys fighting for two jobs and they all played well in exhibition,” Bonner said. “That made it tougher. We thought the best fit for us was to go with Jon and Justin — James was the odd man out.”
Whatever happened over the last season and a bit, Priestner has already forgotten. While driving near Lloydminster yesterday, he talked about the potential of the Wheat Kings (2-2-0), who were picked as a favourite prior to the season.
“This season, from everything I've heard, we could do a lot of damage,” Priestner said. “That's what I'm looking forward to.
“Hopefully we can do well in playoffs.”
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D Nick Ross has been suspended two games by the WHL.
Ross was suspended for an attempted hip check during Saturday's 5-4 loss to the host Kelowna Rockets that resulted in Rockets D Kyle Verdino suffering a left-knee injury.
The game's referees, Matt Kirk and Colby Smith, thought the play was dangerous, as did WHL vice president Richard Doerksen. Ross disagreed.
“I'm pretty sure there's at least a second and a half where you're allowed to hit a guy,” Ross said after the game. “I didn't leave my feet or anything so I thought it was clean. I stood my ground and I stood up after so it's not like I went lower than I could have. I tried to stay high. I felt his hip on my hip.
“It's a tough break that I got somebody's knee.”
Ross will miss tonight's game against the Chiefs, as well as Friday's contest when the Blazers are in Edmonton to take on the Oil Kings. He is eligible to return against the Hitmen in Calgary on Saturday.
mhunter@kamloopsnews.ca