The Edmonton Oil Kings are victims of their own success.
When you win at least 50 of 72 in back-to-back seasons, claim the league championship one of those years and are league finalists the following year, the pros take notice.
Consequently, the Oil Kings team that's here this weekend to play the Prince George Cougars is missing a few stars -- 11 to be precise. That list includes Curtis Lazar (Ottawa), Henrik Samuelsson (Phoenix) Griffin Reinhart (New York Islanders), Tristan Jarry (Pitsburgh), Keegan Lowe (Carolina), Laurent Boissoit (Calgary), Trevor Cheek (Colorado) and Michael St. Croix (New York Rangers) are away at NHL camps, while Martin Gerhat, David Musil, and Travis Ewanyk are auditioning to play in the AHL for the Oklahoma City Oil Barons.
Seventeen-year-olds defencemen Dysin Mayo, Ben Caroll, and Aaron Irving will be getting lots of icetime this weekend, while up front the Oil Kings are leaning on Alaska product Lane Bauer, Andrew Koep, Brandon Ralph, Mitch Walter and explosive skating Danish import Mads Eller. He's the brother of Lars Eller, a St. Louis Blues first rounder who has since been traded to Montreal.Goalie Patrick Dea, 16, and former Cougar Tyler Santos, 19, will get the call in tonight's game, are fighting for the right to back up the 18-year-old Jarry.
The Cougars have five players of their own away on NHL tryouts, including Colin Jacobs (Buffalo), Troy Bourke (Colorado), Klarc Wilson (Rangers), Zach Pochiro (St. Louis) and Marc McNulty (Detroit).
