Officially, the Minnesota Warbirds have come to an agreement with both the San Fransisco Seals and Castlegar Castors and pulled off a three team trade. Each team saw a great player move and is probably one of the most even trades of the season.
Castlegar acquired C John Desouza, San Fransisco acquired C Charlie Hooker and Minnesota acquired D Chris Hie.
In a seperate deal with Castlegar, their newly stripped captain Patrick Albanese has joined the Warbirds as Minnesota send defenseman Dylan Withers to the Castors.
Minnesota GM held a press conference earlier today to announce the acquisitions and welcome them to their new home.
"I want to welcome everyone here today as I am meet you all with a mix of happiness and of sadness. As you already know, we've traded two players who I felt were a key component to this team. It is with great saddness that I have traded them, but in the business of hockey, you always need to find ways to improve. I feel that I've done that today.
First, Chaz Hooker is officially a San Fransisco Seal. Chaz came here at the draft and immediately caused a buzz unheard of in Minnesota. He's a special player that demands a certain amount of respect when he walks into a locker room. I know he'll lead San Fransisco to great things, especially with Phil Alkievicz and Eric Eveloch.
Secondly, Dylan Withers is now a Castor. It's no surprise that I've been shopping Dylan around since I came on board in Minnesota. Dylan is a fantastic defender and a great student of the game. I feel that he needs to step into a situation where he will ultimately shine." Ezell said as he turned to his newest Warbirds sitting at a table beside him.
"Chris Hie is a dear friend of mine and we've known one another for almost 10 years now. I've wanted to play on the same squad as Chris since our F-L days together, and when that situation came about, I had to jump on it. Chris immediately takes care of our defense by adding another player who can score, but also isn't afraid to throw some bodies around."
Hie stood up and approched the mic.
"I'm very happy to be apart of the Warbirds franchise and very happy to be playing along side long time friends in Greg Ezell and Adam Stevens, I can't wait for the season to get started and we can start our flight to the Thundercup!"
Hie and Ezell unvieled a #36 Minnesota Warbirds jersey as the cameras snapped pictures. Ezell then returned to the podium.
"Patrick is another guy I've known for awhile. To fill Chaz' spot, we needed another play making center. Once Patrick was stripped of his C from Castlegar, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to pick up a player of his caliber. He's a playmaker, through and through and, along with Chris, bring Thundercup experience as he has his name steched into the hardware."
Albanese then stepped up to the podium to address the media that silently awaited his word.
"I am pleased to be joining the Minnesota Warbirds and look forward to working with Greg, the coaching staff, and the rest of the team. This is certainly a change of scenery for me, given how long I was in the Castlegar organization, but it is a welcomed change. While I'll miss my former Castor teammates, coaches, and fans, I wish them the best in the future. I'm just glad to be leaving one great organization for another, and I look forward to making a run for the Thundercup this year. Hopefully myself and Chris can bring a little of last season's luck with us to Minnesota this year!"
Ezell and Albanese held up a home Warbirds jersey.
Chris Hie has confirmed that he signed a 1 season extension with Minnesota that will keep him a Warbird until after S8.
The Warbirds are slated to open the season against the Toronto Vipers.
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