Youth movement
Overager Zach Shankar’s trade to Spits frees up ice time for young defencemen
The Niagara IceDogs have traded overage defenceman Zach Shankar to the defending Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires.
In exchange the IceDogs will receive Windsor’s seven-round pick in the 2019 Ontario Hockey League draft.
The move is the second in less than a year for the 20-year-old native of Prescott, Ont., south of Ottawa. Before being acquired by the IceDogs in a trade last August, the 6-foot, 190-pound defenceman spent three seasons with the North Bay Battalion.
IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said Shankar was added to the roster in hopes that his work ethic, character and experience would serve as a role model for the younger members of the team’s blue-line corps.
“Zach did a great job for us,” Burke said. “He served as an excellent mentor for our younger defenceman, and consistently showed the traits we desire.
“His character and work ethic were excellent here, and we are sad to see him go, but feel this is a necessary move for us long term.
“I feel very confident in the progress our young defenceman have shown this season, so this difficult decision had to be made to open up more ice time for our young core.”
Windsor likewise is counting on Shankar to mentor younger teammates.
“Zach brings experience to our blue-line,” Spitfires general manager Willam Rychel said. “He is a character kid who has demonstrated the ability and the willingness to help guide younger players.
“He adds a lot of intangibles to our club.”
At the time of the trade Shankar had two goals and five assists for seven points in 24 games with the IceDogs.
He has scored nine goals and collected 44 assists for 53 points in 189 regular-season games in the OHL, including 165 with North Bay.
He collected one assist in 11 playoff games, all with the Battalion.
Shankar was expected to arrive in Windsor on Wednesday and accompany his new team on an eastern Ontario road trip for games against the Peterborough Petes, Kingston Frontenac and Ottawa 67’s.
Player of the week
IceDogs centre Ben Jones is the OHL On the Run player of the week.
The 18-year-old native of Waterloo, Ont., who is playing in his third season in Niagara, had two goals and five assists in three games as the IceDogs emerged from the Christmas break and ended 2017 with three wins in a row.
In the three games Jones had a plus-minus rating of three-plus.
His offensive output included a shorthanded goal in a 7-3 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs on New Year’s Eve at Meridian Centre.
Jones, who has earned at least a point in eight games heading into tonight’s home game against the Guelph Storm, leads the IceDogs in points with 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 35 games.
A point behind is Kirill Maksimov, who leads Niagara in goals, with 23, to go along with 17 assists.
Akil Thomas, 10 goals, 28 assists, 38 points; Danial Singer, 16 goals, 12 assists, 28 points; and team captain Johnny Corneil, 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points; round out the top five point-getters.