Storm Sign Former Viper Defenceman:

This is in the Kamloops Daily Newspaper:

Storm signs former WHL defenceman

by Mark Hunter

Justin Palazzo will be welcomed back to the KIJHL with a bus ride to Grand Forks.
Palazzo, a 19-year-old defenceman who played three-plus seasons in the WHL, has signed with the junior B Kamloops Storm. He will make his debut this weekend as the Storm plays a pair of road games against Neil Murdoch Division opponents.
The Storm plays the Border Bruins in Grand Forks tonight before heading to Spokane for a Saturday game against the Braves.
For Palazzo, who hasn’t played junior B since he was with the Sicamous Eagles as a 15-year-old in 2004-05, the thought of riding the Storm’s bus is exciting.
“Sure, you want to play for titles and stuff,” said Palazzo, a Kamloops minor hockey product. “But the time on the bus and the time in the dressing room is something you’ll never forget.
“Having the opportunity to do it with a lot of close friends, that’s definitely one of the bigger parts of me coming back to play.”
Palazzo, who goes 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, played parts of four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders, picking up 13 points, four of them goals, in 130 games. Early last season, he was traded to the Vancouver Giants, with whom he had a goal and three helpers in 30 games, before being reassigned to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.
Since the Vipers’ season ended in May, Palazzo has barely been on the ice, minus the time he helps coach his sister’s midget house team. But he’s not too worried about rust.
“I don’t think it will be too bad,” he said.
Palazzo’s arrival should make one of the top teams in the KIJHL even tougher. Kamloops (24-9-3) is first in the Okanagan-Shuswap Conference, 14 points ahead of the Chase Chiefs (17-16-3).
With a playoff spot all but locked up, Kamloops is hoping for a long postseason — a cause Palazzo should help.
“It’s a huge signing for us,” said Storm head coach Ed Patterson. “He’s a talented guy. He played in the Western league, so he definitely will be an impact player for our team once he gets into shape.”
Palazzo, who likely will be paired with Shae Naka this weekend, is nearing the completion of his electrical apprenticeship at TRU.
With that nearly finished, Palazzo finally buckled to the Storm’s request that he play.
“We chased him,” Patterson said, with a laugh. “You can’t have a guy like that living in your hometown and not chase after him.
“It’s a huge addition to our team.”
Palazzo decided to join the Storm because he has some friends playing — David Gore, Jose Reyes, Austin Goode and Mick Ludvig, to name a few — and because he’ll have to find a real job soon.
“It’s a lot for the fun of it,” he said. “They’re pretty good and a lot of my friends are on the team. I decided to play one last season with my friends before life starts.”