The move was confirmed Wednesday night by Mike Johnston, the Winterhawks' general manager and head coach.
Lanigan, who had been acquired by Kamloops from the Edmonton Oil Kings for goaltender Jon Groenheyde during 2010-11, went into training camp in August with the opportunity to be the Blazers' starter. However, Cole Cheveldave, then 18, won the job and kept it until he suffered a concussion during a second-round series with the Winterhawks.
Cheveldave went down in Game 2 as the Blazers lost 4-1 to fall behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Lanigan stepped in as the starter and the series went seven games, with Portland winning the last game, 2-0.
Lanigan becomes the second 20-year-old goaltender on the Portland roster, along with Mac Carruth. However, Carruth has signed with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and could play in their organization.
The Winterhawks would seem to be looking for a veteran goaltender to provide support until Brendan Burke, 17, the son of former NHL goaltender Sean Burke, is ready to take over as No. 1.
Assuming Lanigan reports to camp with the Winterhawks, he will find other competition in Jarrod Schamerhorn, a 17-year-old from Kelowna who played last season with the junior B Golden Rockets, and Brendan Jensen, a 19-year-old from La Granada, Calif. Jensen has played in 40 WHL games, all of them with the Vancouver Giants, who dealt his rights to Portland in January. Jensen played most of last season with the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints.
The Blazers, meanwhile, will go to camp with Cheveldave, 19, and Taran Kozun, 18, as their top two goaltenders.
The Blazers began last season with Cheveldave, Lanigan and Kozun on their roster. Early in the season, Kozun was sent to the SJHL's Nipawin Hawks.
There now have been five 20-year-old goaltenders change teams this season. Earlier this week, the Brandon Wheat Kings dealt Brandon Anderson's WHL rights to the Everett Silvertips. Earlier, Luke Siemens moved from the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Prince Albert Raiders, Ty Rimmer went from the Tri-City Americans to Lethbridge, and Brandon Glover was traded by the Calgary Hitmen to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
---
The Portland Winterhawks are back on the radio, having signed a multi-year deal (specifics not revealed) with KPAM 860 AM. According to a news release, the station will broadcast all regular-season and playoff games live, with exceptions when the Winterhawks play day games. . . . The deal also includes a weekly hour-long show on Northwest Sports Tonight that will include the taking of phone calls. . . . The team will continue to operate its Winterhawks Radio Network at winterhawks.com. According to a news release, "The Winterhawks Radio Network will continue to broadcast all games, along with exclusive interviews, podcasts and shows for fans eager for more team-related content 24 hours a day, seven days a week." . . . Todd Vrooman will be the play-by-play voice of the Winterhawks on KPAM.
---
F Brendan Hurley, 19, has signed with the MJHL's Dauphin Kings. Hurley has played with the Kootenay Ice and Medicine Hat Tigers. He was with the Ice when it won the WHL championshp in 2010-11. Hurley was the 15th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . In 173 games, he had 24 points and 278 penalty minutes. . . . The Tigers acquired Hurley from the Ice in January for a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft.
---
Geoff Grimwood has been named head coach of the junior B South Island Royals, who play in the Vancouver Island junior league. The franchise, formerly the South Island Thundebirds, has been renamed under a partnership deal with the WHL's Victoria Royals. . . . For the last two seasons, Grimwood was an assistant coach with the BCHL's Powell River Kings. . . . Under terms of the agreement with the WHL team, Victoria GM Cameron Hope said in a news release that "Geoff will also have a role with the Victoria Royals as a member of head coach Dave Lowry's staff."
---
The Prince Albert Raiders D Tyler Hart and F Austin Bourhis, both of whom are 20 years of age. . . . Hart, who was acquired from the Vancouver Giants in September, had six points and 96 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Raiders. . . . Bourhis had nine assists and 274 penalty minutes in 112 games over two seasons with the Raiders. . . . Both players have cleared WHL waivers and are free agents.
---
Brad Priestlay, a former WHL player (Portland, Prince Storm George, 2000-04) , has been named head coach of the junior B Kamloops of the Kootenay International junior league. Priestlay takes over from Geoff Smith, who has moved on after one season as head coach. Smith has taken a new job that won't allow him the time to work as the team's head coach.
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
Posts
