The on-going game of musical chairs in the dressing room of the Kimberley Dynamiters continues.
Monday morning, general manager Mike Reid confirmed the acquisition of 18-year-old forward Trey Doell, who comes to the KIJHL after a stint with the Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Doell suited up in three games with the Dragons, registering one assist and six minutes in penalties prior to falling victim to the numbers game in Drumheller.
“We have a good relationship with Drumheller,” Reid said.
“Trey was just squeezed out by numbers… He brings a little more skill to our top-nine situation. He’s hopefully going to settle into our lineup and be a big contributor.”
Doell is represents the fourth player to come to Kimberley via the Dragons.
Defenceman George Bertoia remains in the long-term plans of the Junior-A squad, while forward Austyn Moser and goaltender Mitch Traichevitch also came through Dragons camp.
The addition of Doell comes as welcome news with the loss of forward Jesse Wallace to a dislocated shoulder.
The dislocated shoulder is a recurring problem for Wallace, who suffered the same injury during the team’s run to the KIJHL championship last season.
“I’ve watched Jesse grow up as a hockey player and a young man,” said Jerry Bancks, head coach of the Kimberley Dynamiters. “He’s one of the top citizens in our high-school community and he’s a tremendous kid. It’s really sad to lose him and Tristan [Pagura].”
Wallace, 18, was injured in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Revelstoke Grizzlies. He isn’t expected to return anytime soon and is listed as out indefinitely.
In 58 career games with the Dynamiters from 2012-13 through 2015-16, Wallace — a native of Kimberley — posted 17 goals and 34 points.
Pagura was lost indefinitely to a separated shoulder on Sept. 18 in 100 Mile House.
As for Doell, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound native of Grande Prairie, Alta., made his Dynamiters debut Sunday, registering one assist as the Nitros claimed a 5-3 victory over the Golden Rockets.
“Based on what we saw in one game, he’s pretty confident with the puck,” Bancks said. “He likes to hang on to it and make he plays. He showed that he has that ability. He hadn’t played in a while so it was nice for him to step in and do as well as he did [Sunday]. It’s a credit to his skill level.
“Like they all do, he just has to learn a little bit about the Kimberley way and away we go. He seems like a really great kid with a really strong skill set.”
Dynamiters fans will have plenty of opportunity to see Doell in action.
After playing their past six games on the road, the Nitros return to the friendly confines of the Kimberley Civic Centre for five consecutive games, beginning Friday, Oct. 2, when the Revelstoke Grizzlies come to visit.
