Rebels Roster Taking Shape

We're starting to get a real good idea as to what the 2012-13 Red Deer Rebels roster will look like.

On Thursday, six more players were reassigned following another scrimmage game at the Penhold Multiplex...

Cole Chorney              F             Beaumont, AB             1996

Mathieu Lapointe        F             Edmonton, AB             1996

Matt Mitchell               G             Calgary, AB                 1995

Lynnden Pastachak     F              Bienfait, SK                1996

Tanner Reynolds         D             Calgary, AB                 1996

Chase Thudium           F             Sylvan Lake, AB          1996

The moves leave the Rebels with 35 players on their current roster.  Five of those players are '97-born and are ineligible to play full time in the WHL this season...

Adam Musil
Austin Strand
Brayden Burke
Grayson Pawlenchuk
Meyer Nell

The other remaining players on the roster, who were not full time Rebels last season, are...

Grant Naherniak - G
Jake MacLachlan - D
Haydn Fleury - D
Kevin Pochuk - D
Riley Boomgaarden - D
Dexter Bricker - F
Jesse Miller - F
Scott Feser - F
Vukie Mpofu - F
Jan Bittner - D
Conner Bleackley - F
Earl Webb - F

Of this group, Fleury, Pochuk, and Bittner are all but penned in for top eight spots in the defence corps.  Boomgaarden brings plenty of size (us in the local media figure he stands about 6'5") and intrigue.

Bleackley is a lock to join the full time forward ranks. Bricker and Feser are not far behind.  It will be interesting to see if Jesse Miller can carry forward with the momentum from (what I thought was) a solid training camp to push for a spot as well.

The Rebels head to St. Albert this weekend for a pair of exhibition games...

Saturday 11am vs. Prince George
Sunday 7pm vs. Edmonton.

TG