Memorial Cup notes: How did Austin Elliott get waived through the WHL?

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How did a goaltender with a 53-2 file this season get waived by the Western Hockey League final fall?

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Within the case of London Knights overage stopper Austin Elliott, it wasn’t something greater than timing.

Drugs Hat GM and coach Willie Desjardins had the most effective clarification but for a way the 21-year-old ended up within the Ontario Hockey League after a number of successful seasons in Saskatoon.

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“There are a number of completely different causes, not something to do with him,” the Tigers boss mentioned. “It truly is stunning he bought by our league as a result of he’s an actual high quality goaltender. Possibly it was simply because it was so early. It was an actual early transfer (when the Blades launched him) and plenty of GMs didn’t know what their goaltending was going to be like at the moment.

“They have been simply attempting to determine it out.”

The Western league champs began the 12 months with 18- and 17-year-old goaltenders and have been hoping they may do the job so commerce property may very well be utilized in different areas.

“Ultimately, they didn’t fairly get to the place I needed to,” Desjardins mentioned. “Then, I needed to make a transfer. Elliott was already gone at the moment. We traded for a 20-year-old goaltender after (in Harrison Meneghin from Lethbridge). Goaltending continues to be the important thing. If it was a month later (and Elliott was nonetheless in Saskatoon), I’m certain I’d have finished one thing.”

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YOUNG SKILL: Logan Hawery hasn’t performed a shift for the Knights, however he’s nonetheless making a serious influence throughout the morning skates earlier than London’s video games.

The rookie first-rounder has wowed onlookers – together with gamers from the opposite three groups whereas ready for his or her activate the ice – and pulled off a profitable Michigan towards NHL draft prospect Alexei Medvedev Tuesday.

“That was fairly sick,” London veteran defenceman Oliver Bonk mentioned of the transfer. “I feel it’s the primary one this week, truly, for us.”

Hawery, a 17-year-old from Barrie is the way forward for the Knights offence. He has 9 targets and 12 factors in 33 video games with London and one other 9 targets and 16 factors in 13 video games with St. Thomas in Junior B.

Bonk wasn’t shocked Hawery achieved the slick purpose whereas the media gathered and the TV cameras have been beginning to heat up.

“Yeah, he’s that sort of man,” Bonk joked. “He’s fishing for bites a little bit bit.”

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VETERAN TOUCH: Dale Hunter isn’t the winningest coach in Memorial Cup historical past accidentally.

The Knights coach ignited his group towards Rimouski Sunday by cobbling collectively a line mixture of Easton Cowan, Kasper Halttunen and Jacob Julien that rapidly offered the successful purpose late within the third interval. He defined his thought course of for that a couple of days later.

“It relies upon generally on who the puck is bouncing for,” Hunter mentioned. “(If) he’s bought good soar in his legs and I give him some additional ice due to it. Simply watching how they’re skating and the way they’re enjoying (to resolve).”

The Knights, at this level, aren’t shocked by these hunches. Most coaches begin mixing and matching after they’re determined.

“He’s only a coach who has been round for a very long time,” overage ahead Landon Sim mentioned. “Typically, you get a sense and he did there. He put out the correct guys and we get that large purpose for our group. The sensation on the bench was nice.”

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Hunter makes use of the common season to place gamers in numerous conditions. Bear in mind, the nice Mitch Marner, Christian Dvorak and Matthew Tkachuk line of 2016 was preceded by Hunter utilizing Marner and Dvorak as centres on separate models out of the gate.

“He likes to check guys with everybody and see who works properly (collectively),” Sim mentioned. “We now have so many good gamers, everyone can play with everyone. Any man Dale throws over the boards with me, I’m blissful. I like enjoying with everyone on the group and I feel everybody would say the identical factor.”

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