Kamloops this week twitter account tweeted the Kamloops Blazers assigned Palaga to the Vipers. This article below says the Blazers released Palaga and has now been acquired by the Vipers.This is posted on the Kamloops this week website:
Garand earns Kamloops Blazers' goaltending gig; Palaga, Ramsay to join junior A squads
Marty Hastings / Kamloops This Week
September 25, 2018
The two Dylans have the net.
Goaltenders Rayce Ramsay, 17, and Max Palaga, 18, were released from the Kamloops Blazers’ active roster on Monday and acquired by junior A teams, ending a competition for the No. 2 job on Mark Recchi Way.
Dylan Garand, 16, will back up Dylan Ferguson, the 20-year-old Vegas Golden Knights’ prospect.
Palaga, from Kamloops, will join the Vernon Vipers of the B.C. Hockey League and Ramsay, from Saskatoon, will play for the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
“For Max, it’s important that he’s playing, especially at his age,” Blazers’ general manager Matt Bardsley said. “We wanted to make sure he was in a good spot. I know Vernon does a good job.”
“For Rayce, he had an excellent training camp, exhibition as well. We still have their rights. They can come up at any time should there be a need, whether it’s injury or illness or anything like that.”
Garand, from Victoria, was the only WHL-drafted goalie pushing for the Blazers’ No. 2 job, selected by former Kamloops GM Stu MacGregor in Round 3 of the 2017 bantam draft.
While Ferguson was away last November on a whirlwind tour of the NHL, Garand, then 15, was twice called up to the Blazers and played in three games, finishing with a .877 save percentage.
He recorded his first WHL win against Red Deer on Nov. 10, making 31 saves in a first-star performance.
“He’s been excellent,” Bardsley said of Garand, who earned an invite to Hockey Canada’s under-17 development camp in Calgary in June. “We’re excited about the future of Dylan [Garand], for sure, but the same with Rayce and we know Max has experience, as well.
“It certainly wasn’t an easy decision. They all proved that they can play in the league.”
There are 24 players on the Blazers' roster, including two goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards.
Max Palaga's Player Profile:
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/389002/max-palaga
The Blazers signed Palaga September 2nd 2016
http://blazerhockey.com/article/blazers-sign-local-product-max-palaga
The Blazers signed Palaga September 2nd 2016
http://blazerhockey.com/article/blazers-sign-local-product-max-palaga
I wonder which goaltender will be the odd man out? The Vipers now with three goaltenders will have to make a decision. Will we see Max Palaga play this weekend?
ReplyDeletePalaga was the Blazers backup goaltender last year, played in 17 games with Kamloops. Will he challenge one of the current Vipers goaltenders for the #1 job?
I don't think you can blame Aidan Porter on any of the games he's played in this season and I don't think Aidan Hosein has had much luck in the games he's played in this year. I don't think either goaltender was making the big save when needed.
I really liked Johnny Derrick who attended the Vipers training camp the past two years. I thought he was going to make the team this year.
I would like to see Max Palaga play and see what kind of a goaltender the Vipers are getting.
My only concern is, what if Palaga steps in and takes over the #1 job and plays well. Will the Blazers come calling and ask for him back? The Vipers would have to then go out and acquire another goaltender. This is the only reason why I don't like acquiring younger kids from the Western Hockey League. If they are good and play well, their former WHL team or another team will come a calling and their on their way out of town.
And Prokop is leaving for WHL - Calgary Hitman - just now on Viper website. He will be missed.
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