WHL Roundup: Tigers call up defenceman from Airdrie
By Ryan McCracken on October 25, 2018.
Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat Tigers have called up 16-year-old defenceman Damon Agyeman due to a rash of recent injuries.
The Tigers listed forward Baxter Anderson and defencemen Joel Craven and Trevor Longo as out with upper body injuries in Tuesday’s WHL report, prompting the team to call on Agyeman while they return to form.
Agyeman has spent the majority of the early season with the Alberta Midget Hockey League’s Airdrie CFR Bisons — picking up one assist in eight games. The Cochrane product also spent one game with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Drumheller Dragons.
Craven is listed as week-to-week, Longo is day-to-day and Anderson is out 7-to-10 days.
Bjorklund to lead Black side
Garin Bjorklund was officially assigned a team for next month’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in New Brunswick
The 16-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers prospect will serve as goaltender for Canada Black as the Gas City’s lone representative at the event.
Bjorklund has been competing with the AMHL’s Calgary Bisons to start the season. He has logged a 2.82 goals against average and a .921 save percentage through five games.
Bjorklund and Canada Black open their tournament Nov. 4 against Canada White. Pre-tournament action kicks off Nov. 1 with Canada Black taking on Finland.
Foote in Rockets’ door
Adam Foote has taken over the head coaching reins of the Kelowna Rockets.
The former Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets captain played in 1,158 NHL contests — logging 66 goals and 242 assists in the span — before joining up as a defensive coach with the Avs in 2011. Foote, 47, parted ways with Colorado last season.
While he spent his formative years playing in the Ontario Hockey League, Foote has ties to the Rockets. His eldest son Cal —a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick — previously captained the Rockets before beginning his professional with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, while his youngest son Nolan is a current alternate captain in his third year with Kelowna.
The Rockets won their debut under Foote, 3-2 over the Swift Current Broncos, to improve to 5-10-0-0 on the season. Foote replaces outgoing head coach Jason Smith.
Raiders retain top spot in CHL
The Prince Albert Raiders held onto their No. 1 Canadian Hockey League ranking by extending their winning streak to six over the past week.
The wins put Prince Albert at 13-1-0-0.
The Vancouver Giants hold the WHL’s next highest spot on the list at No. 5 with a 10-2-2-0 record, while the Victoria Royals sit seventh at 8-3-0-0.
All of this week’s honourable mentions fell to WHL squads as well, with the Saskatoon Blades topping the list at 8-3-1-0, followed by the Red Deer Rebels with the same record and the Portland Winterhawks at 7-3-0-1.
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