Netminder Kyle Dumba looks to be headed to the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Photograph By ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST
Brian Drewry / Times Colonist
JANUARY 3, 2019 09:54 PM
The Victoria Grizzlies crease is little less crowded now and Kyle Dumba is the odd man out.
As long as he clears B.C. Hockey League waivers by 10 a.m. today, the 20-year-old Dumba will be heading a little closer to home, as the Grizzlies have dealt his rights to the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Dumba, who hails from Calgary and is the younger brother of Minnesota Wild defenceman Matt Dumba, was acquired by the Grizzlies in November from the Surrey Eagles when both regular netminders, Kurtis Chapman and Zack Rose, were on the injured list. Dumba went 6-3 for the Grizzlies, posting a 3.08 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
“Kyle did a real good job for us and is a good kid so we wanted to help him out and this deal sends him close to home, and Camrose just lost a goalie to the WHL so it should be a good spot for him,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon.
With the BCHL trade deadline Jan. 10, Didmon has also been busy manning the phones this week while his team prepares for weekend home games against the Langley Rivermen tonight and the league-leading Prince George Spruce Kings on Sunday afternoon.
“We’re getting close and certainly trying to improve our hockey club so it’s going to be a busy next few days,” added Didmon, whose club sits atop the Island Division at 23-12-0-2.
For now, Didmon and the Grizzlies switch their focus to the Rivermen (18-18-1-0), who they’ll face twice in the next seven days as Victoria visits Langley next Friday to start a six-game road trip.
“We certainly don’t know them as well as we know the Island teams,” said Didmon. “They got off to a slow start this season but have really come on lately so we’re going to have to be ready to go right from the drop of the puck.”
LOOSE PUCKS: Grizzlies captain Alex Newhook, projected to go in the first round of this summer’s NHL draft, leads the BCHL in scoring with 59 points. Linemate Alex Campbell, projected for the later rounds of this year’s NHL draft, is ninth in the league in scoring with 45 points.
bdrewry@timescolonist.com
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