The Moose Jaw Warriors 20-year-old dilemma has been solved.
The Warriors traded veteran forward Brent Hobday to the Red Deer Rebels for forward Jarrett Thompson Sunday, leaving them with just three 20-year-olds on the roster - the Western Hockey League limit.
In Thompson the Warriors get a rugged two-way forward who has displayed a bit of a scoring touch through the first weeks of the season, with two goals, four assists and 19 penalty minutes through 10 games.
The 19-year-old Calgary native, in his fourth WHL campaign, split his time last year with the Tri-City Americans and Rebels. He finished with eight goals, 16 assists and 133 penalty minutes in 61 games.
The previous year with the Americans Thompson had 16 goals, 16 assists and 130 penalty minutes in 58 games. He scored three goals and added three assists as a 16-year-old in 1996-97.
"I'm expecting he'll bring a lot of leadership to the team especially up front where we have a lot of younger players," said Warriors coach Len Nielsen. "I'm not really familiar with him but I expect there will be a lot of positive qualities he'll bring to our club."
Thompson will meet the team in Medicine Hat and should be in the lineup when the Warriors square off against the Tigers Tuesday.
Hobday, who was attending a wedding this weekend and didn't make the trip, had one goal in six games since returning to the Warriors from Detroit Red Wings training camp.
He scored 40 goals and 26 assists in 72 games last year, up from the 27 goals and 47 points he managed as an 18-year-old the previous year.
"We had to make a decision about our 20-year-olds and this was the one we decided to make," Nielsen said, "I think he wanted to play more and he wasn't getting the ice time he wanted here so this is how it worked out." As a result the Warriors have settled their 20-year-old numbers situation, with captain Scott Schoneck, defenceman Shawn Skolney and defenseman Kris Mallette filling the three overage spots.
"That gives us strong, veteran defensive core and I think that's the best position for this team to be in," Nielsen said.
In Red Deer, Hobday joins fellow former Warrior 20-year-old Dustin Paul who was shipped to the Rebels during the off-season for a Bantam draft pick.
That still left the Warriors with the possibility of having seven 20-year-olds on the roster but both Alex Andreyev and Chad Hinz signed pro contracts and did not return and the Warriors released defenseman Craig Strain (*don't remind me!*) shortly after the start of training camp.
- taken from the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, Oct. 18, 1999
