WESTVILLE ROAD, N.S.
A couple of trades and a draft class for the future were the major themes for the Junior A Crushers at the 2019 MHL draft.
The Crushers traded Isaac Chapman, Chad Wilson and a first-round pick next year to the Edmundston Blizzard, in return for forwards Sam LeBlanc, Max Grandmaison and a 2020 sixth-round selection.
Pictou County then sent the rights to Paul Norman and Logan Carruthers to the Fredericton Junior Red Wings in return for defenceman Jack Morris, a native of Antigonish who played for the St. Stephen Aces a season ago.
Pictou County also added Sullivan Sparkes, who was the ‘player to be named later’ in the trade last January with the Summerside Western Capitals, which saw Crushers veterans Jacob Hickey and Ryan Diley land on P.E.I.
DRAFT TIME
The Crushers expect to have 19 players with previous MHL experience on their roster this fall, so it won’t be easy for a 2019 draftee to crack the lineup.
“We generally focused on kids who we knew would be able to go back to midget for another year of development,” said Crushers general manager Chad McDavid. "We feel like we're a better team than we were before the draft."
The draft was held in Edmundston, N.B. on June 15.
2019 Junior A Crushers draft picks
ROUND 1
Conor Shortall (D) 2003 DOB (East Coast Blizzard NLMMHL)
TERRITORIAL 1
Colin Parker (F) 2003 DOB (Valley Wildcats NSMMHL)
ROUND 3
Adam MacDonald (D) 2003 DOB (Cole Harbour Wolfpack NSMMHL)
TERRITORIAL 2
Daniel Kline (F) 2003 DOB (Halifax Macs NSMMHL)
ROUND 5
Dylan Schofield (F) 2002 DOB (Valley Wildcats NSMMHL)
ROUND 5
Dave Matthews (F) 2003 DOB (Cape Breton West NSMMHL)
ROUND 6
Drew Langdon (F) 2001 DOB (Western Kings NLMMHL)
ROUND 8
Matt Burden (F) 2002 DOB (CPA Cheetahs Metro High School)
