First it was Kyle Beach. Now another former Everett Silvertips first-round bantam pick has returned to the U.S. Division.
Former Tip defenseman Eric Doyle crossed the border again last week when he was acquired by the Portland Winterhawks.
Portland received the 20-year-old Doyle, who spent a year-and-a-half with Everett before being traded to Swift Current in January of 2007, from the Broncos in exchange for 19-year-old defenseman Travis Bobbee.
Doyle fills the overage roster slot freed up when the Winterhawks dealt long-time goaltender Kurtis Mucha to Kamloops a week earlier.
“Travis Bobbee played very well for the Winterhawks during his two-and-a-half years here,” Portland general manager/head coach Mike Johnston said in a press release. “He’s a character player in the locker room and on the ice. We had the opportunity to pick up Eric Doyle, who we consider to be one of the league’s elite 20-year-old defensemen, who will help stabilize our young defensive core.”
Doyle is one of the league’s top puck-rushing defensemen. The 6-foot-3, 189-pound native of Calgary, Alberta, amassed 22 goals and 82 assists the past two seasons in Swift Current. He became available because the Broncos had to move one of their four overagers to get down to the limit of three, with forward Matt Tassone set to return soon from injury.
Doyle follows in the footsteps of Beach. Beach, Everett’s first-round pick in the 2005 bantam draft, was acquired by the Spokane Chiefs at the beginning of the season after spending half a season in Lethbridge. Doyle was the Tips’ first-round pick in the 2004 bantam draft.
However, Doyle didn’t have the same impact during his time in Everett that Beach did. Doyle played in 81 games for the Tips, totalling four goals and 20 assists in limited play. He was the prized youngster acquired by Swift Current in the trade that brought defenseman Dane Crowley to Everett during the 2007 playoff push. The Tips, who finished with the best record in the WHL that season, were upset in the second round of the playoffs by Prince George. Meanwhile, Doyle went on to flourish with the Broncos.
Around the WHL
The Doyle-Bobbee trade was just one of the two executed by Portland last week as the Winterhawks also dealt 19-year-old forward Colin Reddin to Prince Albert for a fourth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. … Tri-City added some size to the lineup by acquiring 19-year-old forward Todd Kennedy from Vancouver for a 13th-round pick in the 2010 draft. The 13th rounder was the pick the Americans acquired in sending 18-year-old forward Spencer Asuchak to Prince George a day earlier. … Medicine Hat will be without 19-year-old forward Zdenek Okal for up to two months after Okal suffered a grisly injury in a game against Prince Albert. Okal had his right wrist accidentally cut by a skate blade and suffered damage to his blood vessels and nerves. … The second WHLer in a week became an emergency call-up to the NHL as 18-year-old Brandon forward Brayden Schenn was summoned by the Los Angeles Kings to play in a game at Vancouver. Edmonton goaltender Torrie Jung served as an emergency backup for the Edmonton Oilers last week. … Kootenay’s Dustin Sylvester was named the WHL Player of the Week. The 20-year-old forward had three goals and three assists as the Ice went 2-0.
League leaders
Points — Brandon Kozun (Calgary) 51; goals — Cody Eakin (Swift Current) 25; assists — Kozun 38; penalty minutes — Curt Gogol (Kelowna) 99; wins — Drew Owsley (Tri-City) 18; goals against average — James Reid (Spokane) 2.03; save percentage — Reid .929.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
