The Summerside Western Capitals and Amherst Ramblers didn’t wait until draft weekend to make a splash.
The two Maritime Junior Hockey League teams completed a five-player trade on Thursday night. The Capitals sent forwards Brad Power and Sam Jay of Freetown, along with defenceman Jackson Atkinson and a third-round draft pick, to Amherst in exchange for defencemen Alex McQuaid of Meadowbank, Tanner McCabe of Cornwall and cash. All five players have two years of eligibility remaining.
“We wanted to get bigger, strong and more local,” said Capitals general manager Pat McIver. “We’ve added two Island kids to our blue-line who are over six feet and tough kids. Alex McQuaid is still in major junior, so there are some risks there on our end.
“At the end of the day, we are trying to go with more local players in Summerside and felt this was a good hockey trade for both sides.”
Power is the centerpiece of the deal for the Ramblers. The five-foot-11 and 161-pound forward from St. John’s, N.L., had 103 points in his first two regulars seasons with the Caps.
“Brad wanted us to explore opportunities for him out west, which didn’t work out, so we moved him within our league and did what was best for the organization,” said McIver. “It’s never easy when you give up a player of Brad Power’s calibre. . . There are going to be some question marks on both sides, but hopefully things work out for both teams and both teams are happy.”
McQuaid split the 2014-15 season with the Quebec Remparts and Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“There is still a question mark if and when we see Alex McQuaid, but that was the risk we took,” said McIver.
McCabe started the 2012-13 season with the RBC Cup-hosting Caps as a 16-year-old.
“We went with a veteran blue-line that year and he went to Miramichi,” said McIver. “He’s played three years in the league and he’s a 19-year-old, a big physical defenceman who works extremely hard. We feel he is going to fit in nicely.”
Assuming McQuaid and/or McCabe are in the Caps’ lineup, they will bring some much-needed toughness.
“We felt we got bullied a lot of nights (last year), especially when we played teams like Miramichi, Woodstock and teams in the other division,” said McIver. “We didn’t stand up well physically against some of those teams, and it cost us a lot of nights.
“Adding guys of this stature, if they are in our lineup, will definitely help us in that capacity.”
The Caps, who are preparing for the league’s annual draft in Campbellton, N.B., on June 13, open training camp at Credit Union Place on Aug. 25.
Numbers
A look at the regular-season stats:
To Amherst
Brad Power
2013-14 – 45 points (26-19) in 44 games with Caps.
2014-15 – 58 points (28-30) in 48 games with Caps.
Sam Jay
2014-15 – 14 points (8-6) in 48 games with Caps.
2013-14 – 44 points (17-27) in 33 games with Kensington Wild (major midget).
Jackson Atkinson
2014-15 – 4 points (0-4) in 17 games with Caps.
To Summerside
Tanner McCabe
2014-15 – 6 points (0-6) in 46 games with Amherst.
2013-14 – 6 points (1-5) in 32 games with Pictou County.
2012-13 – 2 points (0-2) in 30 games with Summerside and Miramichi.
Alex McQuaid
2014-15 – 2 points (0-2) in 54 QMJHL games with Quebec and Chicoutimi.
2013-14 – 3 points (0-2) in 53 QMJHL games with Saint John.
The Summerside Western Capitals and Amherst Ramblers didn’t wait until draft weekend to make a splash.
The two Maritime Junior Hockey League teams completed a five-player trade on Thursday night. The Capitals sent forwards Brad Power and Sam Jay of Freetown, along with defenceman Jackson Atkinson and a third-round draft pick, to Amherst in exchange for defencemen Alex McQuaid of Meadowbank, Tanner McCabe of Cornwall and cash. All five players have two years of eligibility remaining.
“We wanted to get bigger, strong and more local,” said Capitals general manager Pat McIver. “We’ve added two Island kids to our blue-line who are over six feet and tough kids. Alex McQuaid is still in major junior, so there are some risks there on our end.
“At the end of the day, we are trying to go with more local players in Summerside and felt this was a good hockey trade for both sides.”
Power is the centerpiece of the deal for the Ramblers. The five-foot-11 and 161-pound forward from St. John’s, N.L., had 103 points in his first two regulars seasons with the Caps.
“Brad wanted us to explore opportunities for him out west, which didn’t work out, so we moved him within our league and did what was best for the organization,” said McIver. “It’s never easy when you give up a player of Brad Power’s calibre. . . There are going to be some question marks on both sides, but hopefully things work out for both teams and both teams are happy.”
McQuaid split the 2014-15 season with the Quebec Remparts and Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“There is still a question mark if and when we see Alex McQuaid, but that was the risk we took,” said McIver.
McCabe started the 2012-13 season with the RBC Cup-hosting Caps as a 16-year-old.
“We went with a veteran blue-line that year and he went to Miramichi,” said McIver. “He’s played three years in the league and he’s a 19-year-old, a big physical defenceman who works extremely hard. We feel he is going to fit in nicely.”
Assuming McQuaid and/or McCabe are in the Caps’ lineup, they will bring some much-needed toughness.
“We felt we got bullied a lot of nights (last year), especially when we played teams like Miramichi, Woodstock and teams in the other division,” said McIver. “We didn’t stand up well physically against some of those teams, and it cost us a lot of nights.
“Adding guys of this stature, if they are in our lineup, will definitely help us in that capacity.”
The Caps, who are preparing for the league’s annual draft in Campbellton, N.B., on June 13, open training camp at Credit Union Place on Aug. 25.
Numbers
A look at the regular-season stats:
To Amherst
Brad Power
2013-14 – 45 points (26-19) in 44 games with Caps.
2014-15 – 58 points (28-30) in 48 games with Caps.
Sam Jay
2014-15 – 14 points (8-6) in 48 games with Caps.
2013-14 – 44 points (17-27) in 33 games with Kensington Wild (major midget).
Jackson Atkinson
2014-15 – 4 points (0-4) in 17 games with Caps.
To Summerside
Tanner McCabe
2014-15 – 6 points (0-6) in 46 games with Amherst.
2013-14 – 6 points (1-5) in 32 games with Pictou County.
2012-13 – 2 points (0-2) in 30 games with Summerside and Miramichi.
Alex McQuaid
2014-15 – 2 points (0-2) in 54 QMJHL games with Quebec and Chicoutimi.
2013-14 – 3 points (0-2) in 53 QMJHL games with Saint John.
