The team announced this afternoon that they have acquired
defenseman Michael Abbott from the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a
fifth-round draft pick in 2015.
“We have added another young [18-year old] defenseman to
the hockey club,” said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Mike Kelly in a
team release. “We have followed this player through midget, the U17 program,
and his progress in the Quebec league. When we had the opportunity to obtain
his rights we felt he would be a solid addition.”
“He is a good skating puck moving D man who has a real
good shot. He is also a good character kid and we are thrilled to have the
opportunity to add him to our team,” Kelly also said.
Abbott, a St. John’s native, has two goals and three
assists in 31 games with Gatineau this year. Last season with the PEI Rocket he registered
a goal and seven assists in 46 games.
According to the Sea Dogs news release, “he was picked
from the PEI Rocket during the Sherbrooke Phoenix’ expansion draft on June 6th
and traded again to the Gatineau Olympiques on Aug. 20th.” He was originally
drafted by the Rocket in the fourth-round of the 2011 Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League Entry Draft.
The Sea Dogs currently have eight defensemen listed on their roster on their website and that doesn’t include Abbott. Olivier LeBlanc
is away with Team Quebec at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Jason Seed is
currently with the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals, and the injury statuses of
Jurij Repe and David Weckworth are unclear. Plus, they traded 20-year d-man
Kevin Gagne last week. So, it’s safe to say the Dogs are a little thin on the
backend at the moment.
The trade deadline is on January 8 and the Sea Dogs will
surely make some more moves before then.
Saint John returns to action this Saturday when they host
the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7pm at Harbour Station. The Dogs then begin the
annual New Year’s home-and-home with the Moncton Wildcats.
Photo: Olympiques website
Photo: Olympiques website
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