Playing time huge factor in two November 30th trades - Evans & Gilbertson

The phone rang and Head Coach Brad Tippett answered....twice.  And when the smoke had cleared, 20-year-old rugged Defenceman Zack Evans was packing his suitcase as he headed up the Island Highway to take residence in Nanaimo with his new Club, the Buccaneers.  And also heading Northbound with just a little bit more of a drive was 18-year-old skilled forward Garett Gilbertson.  Gilbertson was moved to the Oceanside Generals, both deals taking place on November 30th.  And in an interesting twist of fate, Gilbertson's Oceanside Generals knocked off Evans' Nanaimo Buccaneers Saturday night in an overtime affair as both players quickly got their feet wet against each other.

The situation came down to playing time.  Gilbertson had been a healthy scratch far too many times and his skill level demanded that he play more.  And Evans is in his final year of Junior Hockey and the veteran needed to be playing a lot more in all situations including the power play and on the penalty kill.  The trade should satisfy these needs of the two players.  Both deals were for cash.

"These two young men are as quality as they come," quipped General Manager Pete Zubersky.  "Every single Club is looking for solid if not very good players who are also free of any baggage and both of these guys fit the bill.  It was hard to make these moves but we all believe it is better for the players involved.  And we really considered Stefan Grunert as well.  He has been scratched and we really love his play and we had to find more ice for him to develop and become impactful this year and for the next two seasons.  We accomplished that as well.  The Peninsula Panthers Organization wish Zack and Garett the best of luck both on and off the ice and we thank them whole-heartedly for their contributions to the Club and for the time that they spent here with us."

Coach Tippett comments on the two trades:
"There had been a lot of discussions heading into the new 4pm December 1^st deadline. At that time, all Junior teams to go from 45 open cards to 25. Even at 25, most teams want to maintain some flexibility before the Jan 10th trade deadline.  In our case, we had 25 players who all demonstrated they could play in the league. This is the first time we have had a surplus of players at all positions. We have been very fortunate to not have suffered any major long-term injuries. The issue of trying to fit 25 players into 20 lineup spots was stressful on everyone. As a 20-year-old, Zack Evans wanted a chance to play a bigger and more offensive role. Nanaimo had lost a top righthanded Defenceman and Zack’s skill set matched the timing of the opportunity. Brendan McTavish, who we moved to Saanich a couple of weeks ago, was in the same boat where he was battling with a couple of veterans for the offensive quarterback type defenseman. To compound this was the fact that Hunter Jensen has taken a major step forward and we wanted to get 18-year-old Stephan Grunert more ice time. Grunert brings a unique skill set with his ability to deliver momentum changing / messaged sending body checks.  We have about 6 forwards who have the same skill set. Adding veteran Matthew Sparrow forced us to make room. Gibby (The Duke from Sooke) is a great kid and did everything we asked. We know he will fit in to the Oceanside lineup and wish him every success.
 
 We held extensive discussions with a number of teams right up until the deadline. While it may sound exciting, it is young men’s futures we are dealing with. Making the right decisions for everyone is paramount. You are all trying to buy a battleship and the guy on the other end is telling you that you are trying to pay for it with a canoe. You learn quickly whom you can deal with and whom you can’t. The guys who are looking out for the best interests of the player and his team, you can deal with. The guy who is just looking after his team, you need to stay away from. Sometimes there are circumstances that make a common sense deal impossible and sometimes things just work out. We still have two open cards that we will use to add or in a trade prior to January 10^th."

The Panthers have finished their regular season games with the Generals however, have two games left at home against the Nanaimo Buccaneers including one this Friday.  And for Evans it will feel like home, hockey in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre Friday at 7:30 pm.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.