Local MJHL franchises make trades in advance of draft

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This article was published 09/06/2022 (1123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

by CASSIDY DANKOCHIK

The Niverville Nighthawks didn’t wait until the MJHL draft to nab some Manitoba talent for their team.

The Nighthawks traded for two players on June 1, the day the trade freeze ended across Canadian junior leagues. The Nighthawks also picked up additional ammunition to use in the draft, which was held a few days later on June 4.

Niverville received Brett Tataryn, a forward who spent last season with the OCN Blizzard. The Nighthawks gave up a 2023 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick, and also received a 2022 third-round pick. They also paid a player development fee.

Tataryn scored nine goals and 11 assists in 54 games in his first season in the MJHL, winning the team’s top defensive forward award for 2022. He spent three years at the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy.

“Our kind of player is someone who can play 200 feet, and (Tataryn) suits that perfectly,” Niverville head coach and general manager Kelvin Cech said.

“He’s hard to play against, he’s competitive, he takes a lot of pride in both sides of the puck.”

Not satisfied with one trade, Cech made a deal for Hunter Friesen, a Winnipeg-born centre who has spent time in the MJHL and United States Premier Hockey League.

“Friesen is close to home in Winnipeg,” Cech said.

“He’s our only guy with MJHL Playoff experience. Great player on draws.”

Friesen played 38 games for the Selkirk Steelers, including five playoff games in the 2022 playoffs against Steinbach. The Nighthawks and Steelers exchanged future considerations in the trade.

Tataryn and Friesen marked the first two Manitoba players signed by the Nighthawks. Previous signings have been out-of-province players.

“Up until now the only mechanism we had to get players is by recruiting out of province,” Cech said, noting most of those players are younger.

“We needed to find a way to add some Junior A experience… (Tataryn and Friesen) bring that experience.”

The Steinbach Pistons waited a couple days to get in on the trade action, making two separate deals with the Selkirk Steelers, picking up a local player.

Former Eastman Selects player Spencer Penner, who has 15 games of WHL experience with the Seattle Thunderbirds is coming to Steinbach.

The Blumenort D-man had 22 points in 30 games with the Steelers last season. In exchange, the Pistons sent back Owen Weihs and Lucas Gillson. Weihs played in 44 games for the Pistons last season, scoring six goals and adding nine assists. He also had a goal and an assist for Steinbach in the playoffs.

Gillson, who will be turning 18 this fall, has yet to play a game in the MJHL, but has been playing for the Winnipeg Bruins U18 team since the 2019/2020 season.

Later on June 3, the Pistons traded for Goalie Cole Plowman, also from the Steelers, in exchange for future considerations. Plowman, a 2003-born player, made appearances in 29 games for the Steelers last season.