Veteran Kindree caught in numbers game
The Kelowna Rockets have waived over-age forward Liam Kindree on Wednesday, general manager Bruce Hamilton said.
“It’s difficult when you’re limited to three over-age players,” said Hamilton. “Liam has been with us for four years and has been a loyal and dedicated Rocket. He worked his heart out and faced a lot of adversity, coming back from a number of injuries that were tough to get through. I feel bad that we aren’t allowed to carry four players born in 2000, but we had to make a decision.
“It has been a difficult year for 20-year-old players, we’re going to do everything that we can to help Liam find a spot to land.”
Kindree, 21, had eight goals and eight assists in 33 games last season before undergoing season-ending surgery in March.
The five-10, 182 pound forward has appeared in 143 WHL regular-season games over the last four season, posting 78 points (23G, 55A) and 79 penalty minutes.
“Thank you to Bruce Hamilton and Lorne Frey for allowing me to don the Kelowna Rockets colours for four years,” said Kindree. “When I was drafted on May 7th, 2015, my life was changed forever. Having the honour of saying that I was a Kelowna Rocket was, and will always be, one of the biggest honours of my life.”
The North Vancouver product was the Rockets fourth-round pick, 86th overall, at the 2015 WHL Draft.
Forwards Dillon Hamaliuk, David Kope, and defencemen Sean Comrie are the three players born in 2000 on the Rockets roster.
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