Defenceman Raymond Grewal didn't want to leave the Prince George Cougars and he didn't want to leave his hometown to continue his junior hockey career.
He got one of those wishes Thursday.
After playing 129 games over four seasons for the Cougars, Grewal was told after practice he's been reassigned to the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL. It was a tough pill to swallow for Grewal, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Tuesday, but he was told by the Cougars there's always a chance he might return to the team.
"I wasn't happy, obviously, but it's part of the game," said Grewal. "You always want to play at the highest level but there's nothing you can do about it now. They said you never know what can happen, I just have to stay positive. "
The Cougars also announced Thursday that 18-year-old forward Lance Yaremchuk has been reassigned to the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The 18-year-old from Prince Albert, Sask., played three games for the Cougars this season and was held off the scoresheet.
The Cougars acquire Yaremchuk in June in a trade from the Prince Albert Raiders along with 20-year-old winger Chance Braid for 19-year-old centre Jordan Tkatch.
Grewal has been out for the past six weeks with a concussion suffered on the first day of the Cougars' training camp, Sept. 23, when he got checked from behind and fell headfirst into the end boards. He's been taking full contact in practice the past week but was feeling a bit under the weather Thursday and wasn't planning on going to the Coliseum to watch the Kings play the Langley Rivermen on Thursday.
Grewal was born and raised in Prince George knows several Spruce Kings players. He played minor hockey with Jake LeBrun, Riley Hawes and Stephen Penner and also knows Kings general manager Mike Hawes, who coached Grewal in bantam and spring hockey. During the summer, Grewal worked out with the local players now on the Kings roster.
Grewal has a meeting to discuss his hockey future with GM Hawes in the Kings' office today and could be ready to play in the rematch against the Rivermen tonight at the Coliseum.
"I haven't made any commitment yet but I'm leaning towards going there," said Grewal. "It's been awhile since I've played. The expectation is I'll get to play quite a bit."
The Cougars host the Vancouver Giants today and Saturday at CN Centre. Tonight's game (7 p.m. start) marks the Prince George debut of Giants head coach Troy Ward, who served the last three seasons as head coach of the AHL's Abbotsford Heat. He replaces Don Hay, who left to coach the Kamloops Blazers.
Holick said Sunday's 6-1 loss in Vancouver was not a true indication of how the Cougars compare with the Giants, who were well-rested for the road-weary Cougars. The Cats played in Spokane on Saturday and didn't arrive in Vancouver until 11 hours hours before game time.
"They didn't play Saturday night and we did and travelled and I think that was the difference," said Holick. 'They're well-coached and they play an in-your-face style. They're gritty, they put pucks to the net from anywhere, they finish you hard, and they're tough in the net front."
The Giants (4-2-0-0) rank third in the B.C. Division and are tied in points with the fourth-place Cougars (4-4-0-0), who have played two more games than Vancouver. Through eight games, the Cougars have allowed 38 goals against, tied with Portland with the league's most porous defence.
"We have to be better defensively and make better reads," said Holick. "The players who were missing those reads [in the Lethbridge game] shouldn't be making those mistakes at this time. The biggest thing is we have to communicate better."
