Blazers trim roster to 24

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The WHL’s Kamloops Blazers trimmed another body off their roster Tuesday and now are carrying 24 players.
Forward Rhyse Dieno, 17, was designated for assignment. From Saskatoon, he is likely to join an SJHL team.
Dieno, an undrafted list player, joined the Blazers late last season and had one assist in 16 games. He was a healthy scratch from the first two games of this regular season.
With Dieno gone, the Blazers’ roster now features two goaltender, eight defencemen and 14 forwards.
The Blazers (1-1-0-0) next play Friday when they meet the Silvertips (2-0-0-0) in Everett. Kamloops then stops in Chilliwack for a Saturday night engagement with the Bruins (1-1-0-0), who beat them 5-2 at Interior Savings Centre on Saturday.
———
D Corey Fienhage, who returned to Kamloops from the camp of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, practised with the Blazers on Tuesday. Fienhage, who was held out of practice Monday, will make his WHL debut Friday in Everett.
A third-round pick by Buffalo in the NHL’s 2007 draft, Fienhage spent the last two seasons at the U of North Dakota.
Missing from Tuesday’s practice were D Josh Caron (collarbone) and F Jordan DePape (shoulder). Caron, who was injured Saturday, won’t play again until mid-December, at the earliest.
DePape may be back today. He is expected to play Friday.
———
RW Luke Walker, 20, has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. He spent the last three seasons with the Portland Winterhawks. Walker is the son of Gord Walker, who played for the Winterhawks and Blazers (1982-85). Gord put up 134 points in 66 games with the 1984-85 Blazers.
Luke, a fifth-round pick by the Avalanche in the NHL’s 2010 draft, got a US$140,000 signing bonus and was assigned to the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters.
In 202 regular-season games with Portland, Walker, who is from Castlegar, had 130 points, including 65 goals, and 271 penalty minutes.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter