Petes head coach Rob Wilson said they couldn’t sit on their hands with such a tough start and needed to explore ways of improving the team and Gavin Bryant was a step in that direction.
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New Pete Gavin Bryant shocked to be traded from Niagara IceDogs
Gavin Bryant wants to help the Peterborough Petes turn their season around.
The Petes acquired the overage centre in a trade with the Niagara IceDogs on Tuesday in exchange for third- and ninth-round draft picks. Bryant was the IceDogs captain and leading scorer last season with 21 goals and 54 points in 62 games.
Bryant, who is close to returning from off-season shoulder surgery, is not expected to debut for the Petes this weekend when they play three games in four days, but could play next week. He participated in his first practice with the Petes on Tuesday in a non-contact orange jersey.
The Petes will host the Kingston Frontenacs at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at the Memorial Centre before visiting the Brantford Bulldogs at 7:05 p.m. Saturday and Oshawa Generals at 6:05 p.m. Sunday.
Bryant leaves a Niagara team which finished in last place overall last season, but is off to a hot start this season sitting atop the OHL’s Central Division with a 7-2-0-0 record. He’s joining a Petes squad off to a franchise worst 0-8-1 start and is just one loss short of tying the team’s record for longest ever losing streak.
But he’s not bothered by that.
“I’m not worried about the start they’ve had,” said Bryant. “It was kind of like me coming into Niagara last year. I want to be part of the solution this year. I have one more year left in this league and I want to make the best of it. I know the team wants to win and wins are going to come. I’m glad they are trusting me to be a part of it.”
While Bryant had yet to play a game this season as Niagara got off to a good start using three other overage players, he says he was shocked to be traded.
“I was out and the team was doing well, but I was still wearing the captain’s C and I was still being told certain things by certain people. But at the end of the day, they went in a different direction and obviously moved me to Peterborough,” he said, not revealing who he was referring to.
“It’s tough sledding for sure leaving Niagara, but I couldn’t be more excited to be a Pete. It’s a pretty storied organization and I’m super-pumped to be a part of it.
“It’s a well-respected organization around the league. As per recent history, they’re two years out of a championship which is something to talk about as well.”
Petes head coach Rob Wilson said they couldn’t sit on their hands with such a tough start and needed to explore ways of improving the team and Bryant was a step in that direction. Bryant will not only help a struggling offence, which has scored a league low 15 goals, but he also brings leadership.
“We have a young group and he brings a lot of leadership,” said Wilson. “I talked to Greg Walters who used to coach him in Owen Sound and I talked to other people and everyone kept coming back to the same thing, he’s a great leader and great teammate and he’s very coachable. A great kid to be around.
“The other part is he’s a great two-way player. He’ll put up some offence for us and help us on the power play and he’s a centreman. I’m a firm believer you need centre men.”
NOTES: Braydon McCallum is scheduled to see a specialist on Sunday to evaluate a nagging lower body injury sustained in training camp. Wilson said McCallum will not play this weekend … Goalie Easton Rye is participating in full practice as he works his way back from a high ankle sprain, but Wilson said he expects him to sit out at least one more weekend before playing his first game this season.