Rebels Shuffle Their Deck

Just when we thought we had it all figured out, the Red Deer Rebels shook things up in a somewhat substantial way on Wednesday.

First, they announced that both Vukie Mpofu ('96) and Dexter Bricker ('95) had both been reassigned, reducing the Rebels training camp roster to 24.

But then they added another forward, 18 year old Wetaskiwin native Ryley Bennefield, on a tryout basis.  Bennefield had two goals in preseason action this month with the Calgary Hitmen.

And then the Rebels announced the addition of yet another forward, 17 year old Wyatt Johnson, also on a tryout basis.  Johnson was second in team scoring for the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers last season (45 points in 42 games) and was recently cut by the Vancouver Giants.

The battle for forward positions on this Rebels club, with only two preseason games remaining, has just become a whole lot more interesting.

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

Black / White Game Rosters

Here are the rosters for tonight's McDonald's Black/White Game at the Enmax Centrium.  Game time is 7pm.  Admission is $2 for the Red Deer Firefighters Charity Fund...
TEAM WHITE
Coaches - Brandon Sutter, Ted Vandermeer

#	Name	Hometown	YOB
30	Grant Naherniak	Moose Jaw, SK	96
31	Matt Mitchell	Calgary, AB	95
2	Holden Daley	Sherwood Park, AB	96
3	Jake MacLachlan	Fernie, BC	96
4	Haydn Fleury	Carlyle, SK	96
6	Stephen Hak	Winnipeg, MB	94
7	Kevin Pochuk	Winnipeg, MB	95
8	Riley Boomgaarden	Grande Prairie, AB	94
9	Meyer Nell	Boissevain, MB	97
10	Dexter Bricker	Saskatoon, SK	95
11	Cory Millette	Storthoaks, SK	95
12	Colten Mayor	St. Albert, AB	93
14	Lynnden Pastachak	Bienfait, SK	96
15	Jesse Miller	Winnipeg, MB	94
16	Joel Hamilton	Cochrane, AB	94
17	Trace Elson	St. Albert, AB	94
18	Scott Feser	Red Deer, AB	95
19	Vukie Mpofu	Saskatoon, SK	96
23	Adam Kambeitz	Coaldale, AB	92
24	Mathew Dumba	Calgary, AB	94
25	Marc McCoy	Edmonton, AB	94

 
TEAM BLACK
Coaches - Devin Francon, Colin Fraser

#	Name	Hometown	YOB
30	Taz Burman	Vancouver, BC	97
31	Bolton Pouliot	Calgary, AB	94
2	Devan Fafard	Carlyle, SK	94
3	Jan Bittner	Most, CZR	93
4	Tanner Reynolds	Calgary, AB	96
5	Cody Thiel	Bruno, SK	93
6	Cole Perison	Kamloops, BC	97
7	Austin Strand	Calgary, AB	97
8	Kayle Doetzel	Rosetown, SK	95
9	Conner Bleackley	High River, AB	96
10	Turner Elson	St. Albert, AB	92
11	Chase Thudium	Sylvan Lake, AB	96
12	Mathieu Lapointe	Edmonton, AB	96
14	Charles Inglis	Saskatoon, SK	92
15	Brayden Burke	Edmonton, AB	97
16	Cole Chorney	Beaumont, AB	96
17	Chad Robinson	Minnedosa, MB	93
18	Grayson Pawlenchuk	Ardrossan, AB	97
19	Brooks Maxwell	Raymond, AB	94
20	Earl Webb	Calgary, AB	96
22	Tyson Ness	Grande Prairie, AB	93

Happy Return For Hamilton

As I mentioned last night, it was great to see the Rebels veterans back on the ice for the first time this week.  It was especially great to see last year's injured players back out there at full speed.

The one guy you perhaps feel the best for is Joel Hamilton.  No one has had a longer, tougher road back to the ice.

It was a scary moment when Joel suffered a back injury on February 11th which ended his season.  A seemingly harmless hit along the bench-side boards versus the Moose Jaw Warriors ended up in Joel fracturing his L1 and L2 vertebrae (see my blog from Feb. 12 for more).