Bulldogs trade Fergus for younger Landry
T.J. Fergus is on the move — again.
The Bulldogs sent the overage defenceman, and a fourth-round pick in 2018, to the Barrie Colts Monday, in exchange for rearguard Kade Landry.
He had been with the team less than two months.
Bulldogs GM Steve Staios wasn’t initially looking to trade Fergus when the Colts approached him. Then they offered Landry in return — and his interest was piqued.
He’s an 18-year-old blueliner with “great mobility,” he added, “somebody we couldn’t pass up.”
A native of Listowel, Landry measures six-foot-one and tips the scales at 198 pounds. Like Fergus, he shoots left, and in 17 games with the Colts this season had three goals and eight assists.
He’ll make his debut Wednesday morning when the Bulldogs host Peterborough in their annual school-day game.
“I’m really excited to get things going. And the management, coaching staff and all the players have been really good to me so far, which made the transition that much easier,” he said after his first practice with the team Tuesday.
Fergus, meanwhile, is expected to add a veteran presence to a youthful Barrie back end, which has allowed only 50 goals this campaign — the least in the OHL. According to to a Colts release, he’ll also get time on the power play.
The Bulldogs acquired Fergus from the Erie Otters in late September. At the time, Staios said the 20-year-old would bring a winning attitude to the dressing room and has the ability to make the players around him better. Fergus, however, struggled to execute the Bulldogs system. He frequently turned the puck over and looked nothing like the player that helped Erie win an OHL championship last May.
“I think he was just starting to get acclimated to what we’re doing here,” Staios said.
With the deal, the Bulldogs also address another issue — a logjam of overage players.
Including the Oakville native, they were carrying four, even though the league only allows teams to dress three at a time and to carry three after the OA trade deadline in January.
The week ahead
Host Peterborough Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., FirstOntario Centre The storyline: The Petes fell to second in the East Division standings after splitting a home-andhome series with Kingston last weekend. Player to watch: Jonathan Ang leads the team in scoring with 30 points in 21 games, and is coming off a strong showing in the Canada-Russia Series. Neat stat: At 29 goals, the Petes have scored more on the power play than any other OHL team this season, and more than twice as many as the Bulldogs, who have 13.
Hamilton connection: Matt Timms is from Waterdown.
At Kingston Friday, 7 p.m. Storyline: A loss to the Petes Sunday snapped a five-game win streak for the fourth-place Fronts. Player to watch: Jason Robertson has been on a scoring spree with six goals and five assists his past six games. Neat stat: Kingston has had three games decided by shootout so far, including two against Hamilton. Each team has a win apiece. Hamilton connection: None.
At Ottawa Saturday, 2 p.m. The storyline: The division-leading 67’s go into the weekend with wins in each of their past three games, including a 4-3 decision against Sarnia — then the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Player to watch: Sasha Chmelevski had three goals and an assist in two games against Oshawa last weekend and is tied for the team scoring lead with 19 points. Neat stat: Ottawa is the only team in the league that hasn’t lost in regulation when outshooting the opposition (6-0-1-0). Hamilton connection: Sam Bitten is the brother of Bulldogs forward Will Bitten.