WHL Roundup: Rybinski playing junior A while awaiting trade from Tigers
By Ryan McCracken on November 30, 2018.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken Henrik Rybinski made his junior A debut with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Coquitlam Express last Friday after requesting a trade from the Medicine Hat Tigers in early November. Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston says the plan is still to move the 17-year-old forward when the right opportunity arises, but that offer has yet to surface. “If there was something that made sense for us we’d move him right now,” said Clouston. “There isn’t, so we didn’t want to hold him up. This is an opportunity for him to keep playing and for other teams to look at him and for him to continue his career. “Hockey Canada, our league, we don’t want guys not playing forever.” Rybinski and the Tigers mutually parted ways after reaching an impasse regarding the 6-foot-1, 176-pound Vancouver product’s role with the team. Rybinski reportedly wanted a spot in the top-six and the Tigers were unable to accommodate his request. Rybinski had a goal and four assists in 14 games with the Tigers this season and 17 points in 77 career games with the club. Craven nearing return Medicine Hat’s blue line could get a boost this weekend with the return of 18-year-old defenceman Joel Craven. Craven has been on the shelf since Oct. 19th, when he suffered an upper-body injury in a 4-3 overtime win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Whitefish, Mont. product has a minus-five rating in 10 games this season and is still searching for his first point of the year. While nothing is set in stone, the Tigers host the Hurricanes again Saturday before heading to Regina to take on the Pats in back-to-back Teddy Bear Toss games, and Clouston says there’s a chance Craven could be back in the lineup. “We hope soon, potentially this weekend,” said Clouston, adding centre Elijah Brown still needs more time to recover from a shoulder injury sustained in a 4-2 road loss to the Saskatoon Blades on Nov. 13. “Brown is a little ways away.” Brown has four goals and seven assist in 21 games this season. Hurricanes load up The Lethbridge Hurricanes will be sporting a new look when they hit the ice at the Canalta Centre on Saturday after completing a blockbuster trade with the Regina Pats Thursday. The Hurricanes acquired 19-year-old centre Jake Leschyshyn and 19-year-old winger Nick Henry in exchange for 19-year-old centre Jadon Joseph, 18-year-old centre Ty Kolle and seven bantam draft picks — including first-round selections in each of the next two drafts. Leschyshyn has 16 goals and 16 assists in 24 games with the Pats this season while Henry boasts 15 goals with 25 assists in 25 contests. Going back the other way, Joseph has logged 10 goals and 9 assists in 23 nights and Kolle has posted seven goals and five assists in 21 contests. 18
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