Many, many, MANY thanks to foggie, D. Fletcher and jd who informed me that Dustin Slade is a WHL goalie no longer.

He’s signed with the Halifax Wolverines, a Tier II Junior A team and part of the MJHL (Maritime Junior A Hockey League). In comparison, the Giants are a Major Junior Tier I team.

Slade will play his first game (hopefully minus the ugly pads) today in Amherst. The Wolverines are currently second in their division.

Jack Finley, the Wolverines GM, was quoted as saying:

“Dustin is his own man and I’m not going to judge the situation in the past…. I know here, he’ll have a fresh start and we look to him to be one of our leaders.”

Later reports indicate that Finley chained Slade to the team bus, just in case Slade was thinking of doing anything stupid.*

*Okay, I made that up. But it’s a good idea.

Dustin Slade, the record-setting goaltender who record-settingly shot himself in the foot when he unexpectedly left the Vancouver Giants in November, is stuck. Slade currently does “odd jobs at the residential properties [his father Dennis] manages” in lieu of a goaltending position at any pro league.

Let’s go back to last month.

After his failed attempts at going pro, Slade asked Hay and Toigo if he could return to the Giants, but the G-men weren’t interested. That left Slade in hockey limbo: no interest from any of the pro leagues, and the team that holds his rights in the CHL are currently unwilling to trade him away to the teams who are interested, and cannot take him back. With the signing of centre Wacey Rabbit, a 20-year-old prospect for the Boston Bruins, the Giants are once more at their overager limit, leaving Slade out in the cold.

That’s not to say that the Giants wouldn’t have moved Slade before the deadline if the right offer came along.

General manager Scott Bonner says that rivals’ interest in the disgruntled netminder is increasing as Wednesday’s trade deadline nears. Bonner says that three teams have been calling.

Prince George Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson has been quoted as being interested in Slade. Bonner says he’s not averse to dealing Slade within the B.C. Division, although you can bet he would significantly raise the price. Bonner wouldn’t go into detail, but he’d undoubtedly want something like a top-six forward in return for Slade if he was moved to a more probable playoff opponent.

“We’ve dealt Matt Kassian in our division, we traded Nick Marach in our division, and they are two of the tougher guys we’ve ever had,” Bonner said, pointing to deals in years past with the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets, respectively. “I’ll trade him [Slade] anywhere. But I’m not just going to give him away.“

With the deadline past, however, it appears that the offers were simply not good enough. The Giants have been accused of being vindictive, of refusing to trade away Slade because of anger. Personally, I don’t think that’s the case (or a major factor in the case, at least): Slade’s got skill and a great post season record. If the G-men trade him away, they better be prepared to meet him on the road to the Memorial Cup, because Slade is capable of spoiling their run for the championship.

It’s a shame that a kid with such great talent has such poor decision-making skills. He probably would have better luck in life if he just asked Zandar. Slade also isn’t doing himself any favours with recent claims that transfer fees are to blame. Not so, according to Kamloops This Week and WHL officials.

Rick Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president of hockey, went on the record, saying there are no transfer fees and that Hockey Canada views Slade as being free to play professionally anywhere internationally.

Doerksen added that if Slade’s pro prospects evaporate, he could play junior A with any team that has an open Hockey Canada card until the signing deadline of Feb. 10.

Whatever it is, Slade’s made a mess of the situation, and continues to compound it with rather questionable claims and decisions. He still has options, but whether or not he’ll make the best choice for his career remains to be seen. Given his past history… probably not. But I’d like to be proven wrong.

Curtis Jay Mullen, the drunk driver who hit the vehicle carrying three Moose Jaw Warriors players, including Garrett Robinson, is going to be in Provincial Court on Wednesday to answer to impaired driving charges.

(Normally I don’t advocate violence against someone who’s not Messier, but in this case…)

Thankfully, Garrett Robinson continues to recover at hospital in B.C.

Say goodbye to the ugly silver pads, Giants fans, because Dustin Slade has walked out.

Slade, the G-men’s record-setting goaltender who backstopped them to the Memorial Cup last year, has walked out on the club in anticipation of more playing time in another league.

“It’s frustrating — it’s like being a healthy scratch,” said the Penticton native, who led the Giants to their first WHL title last season, going 16-2 in the playoffs and setting a number of WHL records for shutouts in the process. “I want to be out there — I think I’ve earned that. As a 20-year-old, I have to play.“

Slade leaves his team, who are currently 1st in the West, 2nd overall in the Dub, short one goaltender. He was previously splitting tending duties with Tyson Sexsmith, who shared similar stats. The split was 50/50, as Slade was playing as an overager in the Dub and would no longer be returning the next year, while Sexsmith had a few to go.

This arrangement was made known to Slade prior to the beginning of the season. He was remains undrafted in spite of a stellar 05-06 season, and has had two unsuccessful PTOs with the Canucks and the Devils.

Hay — who only heard the news officially just prior to practice — was surprised by the decision, but wasn’t shedding any tears.

“If he’s not happy, it’s better he made the decision to move on,” said Hay, who met with his team following the mid-afternoon session at the Giants training facility in Ladner to inform them of Slade’s decision. “He’s not the victim in this. We moved two good kids to keep him. That’s where my disappointment comes.”

Chad Scharff was placed on waivers as a consequence of the overager rule in the Dub, and Tommy Tartaglione was traded to the Regina Pats to make room for Slade on the roster. The club is now trying to re-acquire Tartaglione from the Pats.

No word yet on which team Slade is playing for, though Sportsnet reports that he’s looking for a stint in the E.

Per the radio, this decision was sudden and unknown to even his agent.

Last weekend (22 Oct 06), three players from the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL were involved in a serious car accident, when a truck hit their vehicle as they were crossing the intersection. Two of the players, Joey Perricone and Carter Smith, were treated for minor injuries, but Garrett Robinson, from Surrey B.C., was rushed to hospital after sustaining head trauma from the accident.
 
After a 24-hour surgery to repair the damages, Robinson was in an induced coma and listed in critical but stable condition. He has woken up and is responding well, and his parents and older brother Matt Robinson have flown from their homes to be with him.
 
The Moose Jaw Warriors have set up a trust fund to assist Garrett Robinson and his family.

The Moose Jaw Warriors are pleased to announce that a trust fund has been set up to assist Garrett Robinson and his family as he battles through the severe head trauma that he incurred in an automobile accident on Sunday October 22nd. The goal of the fund is to financially assist the Robinson Family as they stay by their son’s bedside.
 
“The support shown and the words of hope and prayers for Garrett and his family have been very comforting,” stated General Manager Chad Lang, “The Garrett Robinson Recovery Fund will help cover the family’s expenses during Garrett’s recovery”.
 
Those individuals who wish to make a tangible gift can do so through the Garrett Robinson Recovery Fund by mail to either of the two addresses listed below or to their local Conexus Credit Union Branch.
 
Moose Jaw Warriors
422 Main St.
Moose Jaw, SK
s6H 3K2
 
Conexus Credit Union
P.O. Box 640
Moose Jaw, SK
S6H 4P4