Thoughts on the post-camp signings

The Klippers signed six players immediately after their summer evaluation camp earlier this month. It was on a Sunday. Because I was leaving for vacation at home in PEI the next day, and still had a landfill's worth of work to finish before I could leave (including a frickin' 19-inning senior ball provincial final), I whipped off a quick story for the Clarion and didn't have time to go into much detail.

Two weeks later, I'm back from my R&R. Here are some thoughts on the newest Klippers, all 18-year-olds:

Justin McDonald, G (Beardy's Blackhawks)
2009-10: 28 GP, 14-9, 3.69 GAA, .895 SP, 2 shutouts

McDonald's average and save percentage don't look great, and he did lose the starting job to fellow '92 Brandon Thiessen in the playoffs. But don't be too put off by the numbers; the 3.69 GAA is pretty consistent with the goals-against numbers for most teams in the SMAAAHL. It's a fairly high-scoring league.

The Turtleford native will battle '93 goalie Patrick Johnson of the Saskatoon Contacts in training camp. Larry Wintoneak hinted after the summer camp that Scott Hellyer isn't a sure thing to return, so McDonald could even find himself as the starter depending on what happens. If Hellyer doesn't come back, Wintoneak will surely be in the market for a veteran puckstopper.

Braeden Johnson, LW (Saskatoon Blades/Blazers)
2009-10: 31-1-1-2 (Blades); 13-4-11-15 (Blazers)


Johnson started the year with the WHL Blades before being sent back to midget. The Klippers wanted to bring him in for the rest of the season, but he opted to stick with the comforts of home in Saskatoon. He did play a handful of games in February and in the playoffs, after the Blazers' season was over.

There was the odd glaring rookie mistake, but Johnson fit in well on the attack, spending most of his time in a top six role. He has puck skills coming out the wazoo and should be an impact player at the SJHL level if he doesn't wind up back in the Dub. Look for Johnson to settle in on the second line, probably alongside Sanfred King.

Pearce Gourley, LW (Saskatoon Blazers)
2009-10: 39-17-12-29, 51 PIM


Gourley was at main camp last season and impressed me with his blend of physical play and a nose for the net. I was a little surprised when he didn't crack the line-up. Should fit in nicely as a bottom six winger with the ability to score 8-10 goals. I'd compare him to Jesse Mysiorek last year, with a little more production.


Justin Gerwing, LW (Saskatoon Blazers)
2009-10: 35-3-9-12, 68 PIM


The Klippers continued their assault on Blazers left wingers by carding Gerwing, another player who had a solid training camp in 2009. The Saskatoon product will also be earmarked for the bottom two lines. Wintoneak called him a speedy player who likes the rough stuff.

Brett Penner, C (Swift Current Legionnaires)
2009-10: 42-21-24-45, 100 PIM


Penner is a natural winger, but Larry plans to convert him to a centre. Odds are he'll start out in the bottom six, where his physical play should be a good fit. The Medstead native played one game for the Klippers as an emergency call-up against Battlefords in February and had a fairly non-descript game, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a midget player. The story of how he got to Eston is a little more interesting: after practicing with the Legionnaires and with Chilliwack (who own his rights) that morning in Swift Current, Penner got the call from the Klippers at 4:30 p.m. and arrived in time for the 7 p.m. game.

Kiley Long, LW (Beardy's Blackhawks)
2009-10: 40-1-4-5, 51 PIM


I'm not as familiar with Long as some of the other players, although I did see him in an intra-squad game at summer camp. He was given a chance to show his stuff on a line with Jordon Hoffman and Tanner Exner and didn't look out of place. Last year's stats don't look like much, and his PIM totals wouldn't suggest an enforcer role - not to mention his 5'9", 175-pound frame.

Two '93 defencemen, Brett Blatz (Beardy's) and Nick Eliason (Contacts) were also offered cards. No word yet on whether they've joined the fold. Blatz posted 12 points and 32 PIM last year; Eliason had 24 points and 26 PIM.




Meanwhile, the Klippers are still looking for an assistant coach after the departure of Trevor Weisgerber to the Moose Jaw Warriors earlier this summer. Edge (Kevin Edgerton) will stay in the fold along with Chad Dorsett, who looked after video and stats last year.