By Jeff D'Andrea

New Raider McCarthy ‘shocked’ by trade

Sep 9, 2014 | 7:30 AM

As Colton McCarthy prepared for Moose Jaw Warriors’ preseason game on Saturday against the Swift Current Broncos, he had no idea he was in the process of being dealt.

The Prince Albert Raiders issued a release at exactly 7 p.m. on Saturday, moments before the game took place, saying that they had acquired the 18-year-old centreman from the Warriors. The Warriors received a sixth-round pick in 2016 in return.

“At first I was shocked, I didn’t know what happened but I’m excited now,” said McCarthy before his first Raiders’ practice on Monday. “It’s great to be here in P.A. and I’m excited to get on the ice and practice today.

“I met all the guys today, it’s already going great.”

A lot of those guys McCarthy met on Monday play the same position he does as the Raiders already have a deep pool of centremen.

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They will likely keep at least one of the two 20-year-old pivots in Calder Brooks or Jayden Hart, as well as 19-year-old centre Jordan Tkatch they picked up in a trade in the summer, and 17-year-old phenom Matteo Gennaro that the team is high on.

Dylan Stewart, 17, and Sean Montgomery, 16, are battling for a centring position, as well as 18-year-old winger Ryan Pruden and 17-year-old Dylan Williamson are also in the fight for forward spots.

Raiders general manager Bruno Campese said that the addition of McCarthy will make the position battles even more fierce.

“It makes it competitive. To me, until the first game of the season, it’s still training camp,” said Campese. “You’re always looking to add competition and that competitive spirit. We’ve added a guy that’s in a good age group and we’ve added a guy that has good experience.

“Is he better than what we have right now? I don’t know, we’ll see—but it sure makes it competitive.”

Campese also added that it was important to add to the 1996-born class, as McCarthy is now one of five 18-year-old forwards on the preseason roster, joining Reid Gardiner, Tim Vanstone, Darcy Zaharichuk and Ryan Pruden. 

Defenceman Ben Verrall and goaltender Rylan Parenteau are also 1996-born Raiders on the preseason roster.

McCarthy’s jump from Junior B to the Dub

Although he was passed over at the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft, McCarthy caught the Warriors’ attention thanks to making the U16 BC Cup. McCarthy first reported to the Warriors in their 2012 training camp, as an undrafted player, and was called up for the second half of that year.

McCarthy, who was born in Moose Jaw, but grew up in Salmon Arm, B.C., started the 2012-2013 season with the Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (B.C. Junior B) and dominated at that level. Before he was called up to the Warriors, McCarthy was ranked second in the league in goals with 20 goals in 25 games with the Leafs, despite being a 16-year-old rookie.

Leafs head coach Frank Maida said at the time the fact McCarthy made the jump from the KIJHL to the WHL was quite a rare feat.

“We’ve always moved players up to Junior A, but I don’t think we’ve seen one go to the WHL,” Maida told the Nelson Daily on Dec. 6, 2012. 

“I know the coach there very well, he had told me at that time that he was an exceptional player,” said Campese. “If you look at his stats in his Junior B season in Nelson, they were exceptional.”

McCarthy created a lot of buzz with his success in Nelson, but has yet to translate that same kind of production at the major junior level. He has eight goals 17 points in 102 career games, including six goals 11 points in 63 games last year.

“His game has never really gotten kick started [in the WHL], to be honest with you,” said Campese. “We’re hoping that, with a change of scenery, we’re hoping he can be at that age group that can solidify some touch around the net for us.”

The Warriors decided to move McCarthy as they wanted to make sure they had enough ice-time to give their prized 16-year-old centremen.

Brett Howden, who the Tribe drafted fifth overall in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, and Noah Gregor, who led the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League in scoring as a 15-year-old with the Leduc Oil Kings.

“At the end of the day, that’s what this move is about,” Warriors general manager Alan Miller told Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “When you look at where we are at, we anticipate (Brett) Howden and (Noah) Gregor at 16-years-old to have a role on our team.

“I think with Colton … he is a good kid and has some potential, but hasn’t necessarily taken the steps that we had hoped when he joined us in his 16-year-old year.”

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea