Rivermen, Smokies make swap
The Langley Rivermen swung a trade, acquiring forward Tanner Clarkson from the Trail Smoke Eaters in exchange for defenceman Valik Chichkin.
"Tanner is a guy we identified last year and we believe he has a lot of upside," said Rivermen coach Bobby Henderson.
"He is a big kid that skates well and has some offensive touch as well."
In six games this seasons, the six-foot-two 200-pound Clarkson had one goal in six games. But last year, he had 11 goals and seven assists in 33 games.
"I think Tanner will add to our overall team speed and will definitely add depth up front for us," Henderson said of the 19-year-old.
"He had a pretty decent year a season ago and we are excited to add him to the organization."
The 18-year-old Chichkin fell victim to the numbers game as the Rivermen had seven other defencemen on the roster.
In nine games this season, the six-foot-three 190-pound d-man had a pair of assists. He had one goal and 14 points in 54 games last year.
"We felt we needed to get Valik to a place where he was going to have an opportunity to get the minutes he needed to continue his development," Henderson said.
"We are sad to see him go because he is such an outstanding young man, but at the end of the day, he has to go where there is more opportunity."
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