Nolan Allan is about get a taste of life in the Western Hockey League.
The third overall pick in May’s WHL Bantam Draft was called up by the Prince Albert Raiders Monday and is expected to make his debut at the Art Hauser Centre Tuesday night against the Everett Silvertips.
Allan, a 15-year-old defenceman from Davidson, has 11 points in 12 games this season for the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.
Tuesday’s contest will also mark the second game of a four-game suspension for Silvertips captain and Minnesota Wild prospect Connor Dewar, who was called for a cross checking major and a game misconduct penalty against the Brandon Wheat Kings Friday.
Coaching Change in Kelowna
The first departure behind the bench in the WHL took place Monday as the Kelowna Rockets parted ways with head coach Jason Smith.
“Any time you let someone go that is the quality of Jason Smith it’s very tough,” Rockets owners, president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said in a statement.
“However, the success of our hockey club ultimately falls with myself and I feel at this time we need to go in a different direction.”
After being hired by the Rockets in 2016, Smith put together a 88-44-10-2 record over the last two years and led the team to the Western Conference final in 2017.
Coming off of a first round exit this past spring, the Rockets have started this campaign with a 4-10 mark and sit it in fourth place in the B.C. Division.
While it’s yet to be confirmed by the team, former NHL blueliner Adam Foote is rumoured to be the new bench boss for the Rockets.
Around the WHL
Fresh off their trip through the East Division, the Spokane Chiefs welcomed star forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan back to their roster after he was reassigned by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings Monday.
The 19-year-old from Calgary had one assist in five games for the Kings, who drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
The Moose Jaw Warriors acquired forwards Kaeden and Keenan Taphorn from the Kootenay Ice Monday in exchange for forward Nick Bowman and a sixth round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.
The Taphorns, who are 18-year-old twin brothers from Yorkton, have spent the last three years with the Ice.
Keenan has 32 points in 142 career games, while Kaeden has put up 24 points in 123 appearances.
Bowman, an 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., had one assist in 10 games for the Warriors.
He had 26 points in 117 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings over the last two years before he was traded with a sixth round pick in 2018 for forward Vince Loschiavo during May’s WHL Bantam Draft.
That draft pick turned into blueliner Lucas Brenton, who has signed with the Warriors and has six points in nine games for the Winnipeg Midget AAA Thrashers.
Sunday’s Scores
- Prince George 3 Swift Current 1 (Jackson Leppard – One Goal and Two Assists)
- Everett 5 Regina 1 (Bryce Kindopp – One Goal and One Assist)
- Edmonton 6 Kootenay 3 (Trey Fix-Wolansky – Two Goals and One Assist)
- Vancouver 3 Kelowna 1 (Owen Hardy – Two Goals)
Tuesday’s Schedule
- Brandon vs. Lethbridge – 7 p.m.
- Calgary vs. Red Deer – 7 p.m.
- Tri-City vs. Prince George – 8 p.m.
- Swift Current vs. Kelowna – 8 p.m.
