The Drumheller Dragons have traded '97-born goaltender Xavier Burghardt to the Kindersley Klippers of the SJHL in exchange for '97 forward Mitch Scott and '97 defenceman Austin Wong.
Mitch Scott, who played last season for the Calgary Canucks, brings a veteran presence who works hard and has strong offensive abilities. In 45 games he tallied 4 goals and 15 assists in the 2015-16 season.
At 6'3" tall, Austin Wong is a big, shut-down type defenseman and a strong skater who will help out on the Dragons' back end. Last year with the Klippers, he tallied 5 assists in 41 games.
"It was tough to let Xavier go as he's a great kid and well-liked in the locker room," said Dragons head coach and GM, Brian Curran. "However, I felt that with the direction we are going there were other concerns that came into play. We are a young team and I felt we need some key veteran players to help with this group. I'm happy that we were able to get Austin and Mitch as both are the right players for this team and will lead by example. I wish Xavier all the best."
With Burghardt gone, the Dragons have brought in '99-born goaltender Dane Dow who played Midget AAA in Lloydminster last season, where he posted 1.84 GAA and .920 save percentage. Dow played in the Telus Cup last season as well as for U-18 Team Alberta.
"We have two goalies [Virostek and Dow] who are very competitive and who last season played against each other in the Alberta Midget AAA finals," said Curran. "I believe these two players will push each other and will be very strong goalies for years to come."
You can catch the Dragons in action Friday, September 9 at the Memorial Arena as they take on the Lloydminster Bobcats in their first home exhibition contest. Game time is 7:30pm and tickets are $5 at the door (season ticket holders are free).
The Dragons regular season home opener is Friday, September 23, which will be preceded by a Tailgate Party in the BCF parking lot.
