SUMMERSIDE – The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals finalized two separate trades with the Amherst Ramblers late Saturday night.
The Caps dealt the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) rights of goaltender Matt Williams for the rights to goaltender Daniel Thompson, a conditional third-round draft pick and future considerations. In a separate transaction, the Caps traded the MHL rights of forward Hunter McIntyre in exchange for Brandon Stone and future considerations.
“We traded two very good (20-year-old) veteran players,” said Capitals general manager Pat McIver. “Both players had expressed interest in playing elsewhere, so we worked on the deals and came to a conclusion (Saturday) night.”
The conditional third-round pick means the Caps will receive the selection if Williams, who McIver noted had expressed a desire to play in western Canada, reports to the Ramblers, who are hosting the 2019 Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian junior A hockey championship.
A draft pick of the Caps, Williams played in Summerside as a 17- and 18-year-old, before spending his 19-year-old season with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“We drafted him, developed him and felt we treated him pretty good in Summerside, but for different reasons Matt had expressed interest in playing out west,” said McIver. “I was unable to make that happen, so we worked out a deal with Amherst.”
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The 18-year-old Thompson, listed as six feet and 150 pounds, is currently at the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles’ training camp. He played the last three years with the Moncton Flyers of the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League.
“We like him,” said McIver. “He’s had a very strong midget career, played on some winning teams.
“He comes with a strong pedigree of playing in big games and winning. He has good size and he’s interested in playing in Summerside. It really worked out well in giving us goaltending depth.”
Two-plus years
McIntyre, who is from Kilmuir, played two-plus years with the Capitals after suiting up for five games as an affiliated player during the 2014-15 season. He left the Caps after 13 games last season to join the Kings County entry in the Island Junior Hockey League.
“Last year, Hunter decided that he wasn’t going to play junior A anymore for different reasons,” said McIver, who noted he recently received a call from McIntyre’s advisor advising he would like to play junior A again. “He wanted a trade and he wanted to be close to Prince Edward Island, so we worked out a deal with Amherst to honour his request.”
McIver is very pleased to acquire the 18-year-old Stone, who played major midget hockey with the Fredericton Canadiens, Halifax McDonalds and Cole Harbour Wolfpack.
“Brandon Stone is an elite forward,” offered McIver. “He comes to us after a tremendous major midget career in Fredericton and in Nova Scotia.
“He produced at 1.3 points per game throughout his career. He’s a high-end talent we are glad to get and I hope to reach out to him soon and get him en route to Summerside.”
Training camp
With training camp opening at Credit Union Place on Monday afternoon, does McIver expect to consummate any additional trades in the foreseeable future?
“We have lots of irons in the fire, but I’m not sure anything is close,” he answered. “We are keeping our fingers on the pulse of major junior camps and whatnot, waiting to see what takes place there.”
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