Vancouver Giants have loaned out two players to junior leagues under a new arrangement designed to give athletes competitive playing time while they wait for the regular season to resume.
One deal will see 2003-born forward Justin Lies head to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Flin Flon Bombers through December 20 of this year.
Originally selected by the Langley-based Giants in Round 3 (56th Overall) of the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, Lies is coming off his first full season in the WHL with Vancouver. In 49 games, Lies registered one goal, five assists and 14 penalty minutes.
Lies, who hails from Flin Flon, is eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft.
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Giants have also loaned 2002-born forward Krz Plummer, who hails from Whitecourt, to the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Whitecourt Wolverines through December 20.
Originally selected by the Giants in Round 3 (46th Overall) in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, Plummer has appeared in 39 career games with the G-Men over the past three seasons. Last season he suited up in 33 games and registered one goal and 13 penalty minutes.
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Western Hockey League has begun allowing temporary transfers for WHL roster players to get some valuable ice time and continue their development by playing competitive hockey at the Junior A, Junior B, and Under-18 levels.
“This is an opportunity for WHL roster players to continue their development by playing hockey at a competitive level,” stated WHL Commissioner Ron Robison.
“We felt it was very important to accommodate the requests of WHL roster players to play competitive hockey on a temporary basis in anticipation of WHL Training Camps beginning after Christmas.”
WHL roster players who have been granted temporary transfers will be permitted to play at the Junior A, Junior B, or Under-18 level through mid-December with WHL training camps beginning following the Christmas break. A number of WHL players will be participating in games starting tonight.
The 2020-21 WHL Regular Season is scheduled to start Friday, January 8, 2021.
WHL said it continues to work with each of the governments and health authorities in the provinces and states “in Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, respectively, on obtaining the necessary approvals to commence play.”
