The Ridge Meadows Flames had an eventful week, trading away their second leading scorer and dropping two more games.
General manager Jamie Fiset has watched his junior B club tumble after a best-ever start to the season, so he pulled the trigger on a couple of deals.
First he traded big power forward Bradley Crompton. The assistant captain and third-year Flame had been one of the team’s most consistent sources of offence, with 12 goals and 25 points in 24 games.
Crompton was also consistently in the penalty box, third in the league with 112 penalty minutes, and Fiset said he appears to be a marked man with the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s refs.
“When you’re six-foot-five, every hit looks bad,” he said.
“Delta put together a really enticing package.”
The key to the deal was Paul Georgeopolous, who played with Ridge as an affiliate player three seasons ago.
“He’s a very underrated player in our league,” said Fiset, adding Georgeopolis can play forward or defence, and wore an ‘A’ with the Icehawks. He plays hard, has three years of experience, but at just 18, could play two more years in the league. Georgeopolous is 5’10” and 190 pounds, and had 18 points in 57 games with the Icehawks. He will play on the second or third line.
“We’ve had him in our crosshairs.”
The deal also included future considerations, and Fiset packaged some of that together with defenceman Geoffrey So to acquire Taylor Seganfreddo from the North Vancouver Wolf Pack.
Fiset said Seganfreddo is “a Brad Marchand type of player,” who is average size at 5’9” and 170 lbs, but plays a gritty physical game, and has the skill to be a top-six forward. He had 10 points in 22 games for the Wolf Pack, and is also 18.
“Every time we played them, he was one of the most noticeable players on the ice.”
Fiset said the trades give the Flames a different look up front, they get younger, and they also get enthusiasm and experience.
The Flames are now at an even .500 on the season at 13-13.
Friday they lost to the Mission City Outlaws 3-1, despite outshooting their guests 42-29.
They were done in by Maple Ridge boy Matt Trulsen, who was almost unbeatable in turning aside 41 of 42 shots, including 19 in the third period alone.
Trulsen was in camp with the Flames, and Fiset said he liked him a lot. They chose to keep Braedon Fleming instead, but early in the season he was selected by the Langley Rivermen.
Halen Cordoni got the Flames’ only goal.
Jack Stradiotti started in net for the Flames, and was pulled at the midpoint after allowing three goals on 16 shots. Paul Tucek stepped in and closed the door the rest of the way, stopped all 13 shots he faced.
The Aldergrove Kodiaks beat the Flames 5-2 on Wednesday. The Flames got goals from Andrew Stelezki and Alexandre Furlan.
On Friday the Flames host the winless Surrey Knights, at 7:45 p.m. at Planet Ice.