CHL: Moncton ramps up for Cup run with huge trades

The Moncton Wildcats showed this week they are serious about chasing the Memorial Cup.

Director of hockey operations Ritchie Thibeau proved as much by orchestrating five separate deals, including a blockbuster for defenceman Jared McIsaac ahead of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s trade deadline, upgrading a Wildcats team currently ranked No. 6 in the 60-team Canadian Hockey League.

“This year we feel we have a team that can go all the way, that’s why we added a few pieces,” Thibeau said. “We feel we’re in a good position, a few breaks and hopefully we can get to the Memorial Cup.

“If we added a few pieces, we could really become a contender.”

Thibeau acquired forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx — Canada’s final cut from its world junior roster — from Halifax on Dec. 22, but wasn’t done there. He followed up with a trade on Jan. 2 for Tampa Bay Lightning forward prospect Gabriel Fortier from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, then made another deal with the Mooseheads on Monday for McIsaac, who recently returned from the world junior championship with a gold medal around his neck.

Thibeau says the locker room is full of excitement heading into the home-stretch of the season after the additions of Groulx, Fortier and McIsaac to a roster already consisting of forwards Alexander Khovanov, Jakob Pelletier and Jeremy McKenna, along with Canadian world junior goaltender Olivier Rodrigue.

“There’s lots of enthusiasm, they know we’re serious about going as far as we can. They appreciated that, especially the guys in their last year,” Thibeau said.

Gold-medal winners were a hot commodity this week, with four players from Canada’s world junior squad returning home to find themselves on a new team.

Forwards Raphael Lavoie and Dawson Mercer were acquired by the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens in separate deals. Lavoie, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, was dealt to the Saguenéens by Halifax for four draft picks including a first rounder, while Mercer cost Chicoutimi six draft picks, including three firsts, which were shipped to the Drummondville Voltigeurs for the NHL drafteligible winger.

Forward Akil Thomas, who scored the winner for Canada in its 4-3 victory over Russia for gold, goes from the Niagara IceDogs to the Peterborough Petes. selections.