CANES DEAL OZOLINSH TO PANTHERS
By Kyle S. Hanlin
Bret Hedican will provide Carolina with a mobile, defensive-minded blueliner.
RALEIGH (Jan. 16, 2002) -- Sandis Ozolinsh?s stint with the Carolina Hurricanes is finished.
On Wednesday, Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford sent Ozolinsh and forward Byron Ritchie to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Bret Hedican, center Kevyn Adams and prospect defenseman Tomas Malec.
?This trade is a good fit for our hockey team,? Rutherford said. ?Bret Hedican is a really mobile defenseman who will balance out our defense. Kevyn Adams is a quality player and an excellent penalty killer.?
On Dec. 5, 2001, Rutherford reacquired Sean Hill from St. Louis in an effort to shake up the team and strengthen the Hurricanes? back end. It worked. The acquisition of Hedican is another stride in that direction.
Hedican, 31, will become the third native Minnesotan among Carolina?s seven defensemen joining fellow statesmen David Tanabe and Hill. Hedican is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent following the season. The Hurricanes will receive a conditional second-round draft pick from Florida if Hedican signs with another team during the summer.
Hedican was one of Hill?s 1992 Team USA Olympic teammates when the United States finished fourth in the Albertville games. During Team USA?s stint at the Games, Hedican met his wife, former Team USA figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. The couple married on the big island in Hawaii during the summer of 2000.
Kevyn Adams, 6'2", 195 lbs. will give Carolina a skilled center with strong penalty killing ability.
Adams, 27, a native of Washington, D.C., will make his third move since the Columbus Blue Jackets claimed him from Toronto in the 2000 National Hockey League Expansion Draft. For Adams, the move to Columbus spurred his first full NHL season which he finished with Florida when Columbus dealt him to the Panthers at last season?s trading deadline in exchange for Ray Whitney and a conditional draft pick.
Malec, 19, a native of Skalica, Slovokia, is playing his second season of junior hockey with Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He currently ranks sixth on the team with 12 goals and 26 assists through 38 games this season. Malec was selected 64th overall in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft following his first season of North American hockey when he tallied 13 goals and 50 assists for Rimouski and ranked eighth among all QMJHL defensemen in scoring.
?We had our eye on Malec in the draft,? said Rutherford. ?We believe he is a really good defensive prospect who will have a chance to play here in a couple of years.?
Malec was named QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a member of the QMJHL All-Rookie team following his 2000-01 campaign.
Ozolinsh leaves Carolina after 117 regular-season games.
Ozolinsh joined Carolina in a June 24, 2000 draft-day deal that sent the Hurricanes first-round pick (Vaclav Nedorost) and two second-round picks (Jared Aulin and Argis Saviels) to Colorado. Carolina signed Ozolinsh to a long-term, high-dollar contract following the trade and the offensive-minded defenseman registered 16 goals and 51 assists in 117 regular-season games with the Hurricanes.
Ritchie, 24, was drafted by the Carolina organization in the seventh round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft and played 33 games for the Hurricanes in parts of three seasons. This year, Ritchie played 38 games with Lowell of the American Hockey League before Carolina recalled him when Chris Dingman was placed on the Injured Reserve list. At the time of his call-up, Ritchie ranked second in the AHL with 20 goals and 28 assists in 38 games and was named to the Canadian AHL All-Star team.
Typically, Florida is known as an up-tempo, European-style team ? a system where Ozolinsh may fit better than he did in Carolina?s system. With Mike Keenan behind the bench for the Panthers, it will be interesting to see what Ozolinsh?s role will be and how the coach with one of the toughest reputations in the NHL will handle the ?gambling? defenseman.
Hurricanes fans will have a chance to see all of the trade?s parties in action when the Panthers visit the Entertainment & Sports Arena on Jan. 25 and again on March 21. The five-game season series between Carolina and Florida will wrap-up at National Car Rental Center on April 12, a game scheduled to be televised by Fox Sports Net.
By Kyle S. Hanlin
Bret Hedican will provide Carolina with a mobile, defensive-minded blueliner.
RALEIGH (Jan. 16, 2002) -- Sandis Ozolinsh?s stint with the Carolina Hurricanes is finished.
On Wednesday, Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford sent Ozolinsh and forward Byron Ritchie to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Bret Hedican, center Kevyn Adams and prospect defenseman Tomas Malec.
?This trade is a good fit for our hockey team,? Rutherford said. ?Bret Hedican is a really mobile defenseman who will balance out our defense. Kevyn Adams is a quality player and an excellent penalty killer.?
On Dec. 5, 2001, Rutherford reacquired Sean Hill from St. Louis in an effort to shake up the team and strengthen the Hurricanes? back end. It worked. The acquisition of Hedican is another stride in that direction.
Hedican, 31, will become the third native Minnesotan among Carolina?s seven defensemen joining fellow statesmen David Tanabe and Hill. Hedican is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent following the season. The Hurricanes will receive a conditional second-round draft pick from Florida if Hedican signs with another team during the summer.
Hedican was one of Hill?s 1992 Team USA Olympic teammates when the United States finished fourth in the Albertville games. During Team USA?s stint at the Games, Hedican met his wife, former Team USA figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. The couple married on the big island in Hawaii during the summer of 2000.
Kevyn Adams, 6'2", 195 lbs. will give Carolina a skilled center with strong penalty killing ability.
Adams, 27, a native of Washington, D.C., will make his third move since the Columbus Blue Jackets claimed him from Toronto in the 2000 National Hockey League Expansion Draft. For Adams, the move to Columbus spurred his first full NHL season which he finished with Florida when Columbus dealt him to the Panthers at last season?s trading deadline in exchange for Ray Whitney and a conditional draft pick.
Malec, 19, a native of Skalica, Slovokia, is playing his second season of junior hockey with Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He currently ranks sixth on the team with 12 goals and 26 assists through 38 games this season. Malec was selected 64th overall in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft following his first season of North American hockey when he tallied 13 goals and 50 assists for Rimouski and ranked eighth among all QMJHL defensemen in scoring.
?We had our eye on Malec in the draft,? said Rutherford. ?We believe he is a really good defensive prospect who will have a chance to play here in a couple of years.?
Malec was named QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a member of the QMJHL All-Rookie team following his 2000-01 campaign.
Ozolinsh leaves Carolina after 117 regular-season games.
Ozolinsh joined Carolina in a June 24, 2000 draft-day deal that sent the Hurricanes first-round pick (Vaclav Nedorost) and two second-round picks (Jared Aulin and Argis Saviels) to Colorado. Carolina signed Ozolinsh to a long-term, high-dollar contract following the trade and the offensive-minded defenseman registered 16 goals and 51 assists in 117 regular-season games with the Hurricanes.
Ritchie, 24, was drafted by the Carolina organization in the seventh round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft and played 33 games for the Hurricanes in parts of three seasons. This year, Ritchie played 38 games with Lowell of the American Hockey League before Carolina recalled him when Chris Dingman was placed on the Injured Reserve list. At the time of his call-up, Ritchie ranked second in the AHL with 20 goals and 28 assists in 38 games and was named to the Canadian AHL All-Star team.
Typically, Florida is known as an up-tempo, European-style team ? a system where Ozolinsh may fit better than he did in Carolina?s system. With Mike Keenan behind the bench for the Panthers, it will be interesting to see what Ozolinsh?s role will be and how the coach with one of the toughest reputations in the NHL will handle the ?gambling? defenseman.
Hurricanes fans will have a chance to see all of the trade?s parties in action when the Panthers visit the Entertainment & Sports Arena on Jan. 25 and again on March 21. The five-game season series between Carolina and Florida will wrap-up at National Car Rental Center on April 12, a game scheduled to be televised by Fox Sports Net.
