The Flin Flon Bombers have added some offensive punch to their championship aspirations, acquiring skilled MJHL centreman Rylee Zimmer in a three-way trade.
Zimmer, 18, arrives from the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in exchange for the CJHL rights to forward Landon Gross. The Bombers had just acquired Gross from the Kindersley Klippers for blueliner Holden Daley.
Zimmer is nearly a point-a-game player with 12 points (1G, 11A) in 14 games with the Wolverines this season. Last season in Wayway he had 36 points (10G, 26A) in 34 games and was a finalist for MJHL Rookie of the Year.
“Zimmer is a kid that we’ve been looking at for quite some time now,” said Bombers head coach and general manager Mike Reagan. “I was really impressed with him…at the Team West camp last season for the World Junior A Challenge. He brings a great skill set to this club.
“He’s going to add another offensive threat to our lineup.”
A Russell, Manitoba, product, Zimmer brings 49 games of WHL experience from his stint with the Regina Pats in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He had one point, a goal, with the Pats.
Reagan could have kept Gross, 19, after acquiring him from Kindersley but did not view the forward as a good fit for the Bombers. In 25 games with Kindersley this season, Gross had 25 points (16G, 9A).
In Daley the Bombers give up a big, gritty defenceman who had four points, all assists, and 58 penalty minutes in 20 games this season.
“Kindersley needed help on the blue line, we needed another young offensive weapon and it worked out for everyone,” Reagan said.
Zimmer is expected to suit up for the maroon and white when the Bombers host the Nipawin Hawks on Friday.
Reagan pulled the trigger on the trade just ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline. SJHL teams had until that day to reduce their rosters to 25 carded players.
A complete summary of cutdown deadline moves was unavailable at press time.
– With files from a Flin Flon Bombers news release
