Looking for a little more scoring and size down the middle, Victoria Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon added Jared Virtanen — cousin of Vancouver Canucks’ rookie Jake Virtanen — in a trade for J.D. Falconer on Thursday.
Virtanen, 19, is a six-foot-two, 200-pound centreman, who also plays right wing. He was secured from the Calgary Mustangs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League where he had eight goals and 10 assists in 28 games this season.
Virtanen recorded 11 goals and 17 assists in 50 games last year in Calgary, where his cousin Jake toiled with the Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and helped him get accustomed to his new surroundings.
Both hail from Abbotsford and also played some minor hockey together.
“I did ask for a trade,” Jared Virtanen said of leaving the 4-22-2 Mustangs, who are in last place in the South Division of the AJHL. “It happened pretty quick.
“I’m really happy about the deal, pretty excited, actually,” added Virtanen, whose brother Richard Virtanen played 21 games with the Grizzlies back in 2009-10. “I was playing a lot, but we were struggling and in a big losing streak [19 games] and I just wanted to get a fresh start somewhere else.”
Virtanen was the Mustangs’ second-leading scorer at the time. He is expected to play this weekend, either at The Q Centre tonight against visiting Nanaimo or Saturday at home to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Both games are at 7 p.m.
“He gives us more size down the middle and experience and he’s someone who can add some scoring as well,” said Didmon, who moved Falconer, who had one goal in 23 games. “It’s a good pickup for us. We were looking for more power to add. He’s got size and he’s durable.
“I think J.D. will be a good player for the future. He wasn’t happy in his role here,” Didmon added of Falconer, the five-foot-nine, Barrie, Ont., native, who said he would not report to Calgary. The Wranglers are forced to place the 18-year-old on waivers in hopes of finding a trade partner elsewhere. Falconer is hoping to return to Ontario to play.
Meanwhile, after a full week between games, it’s onward and upward time for the Grizzlies, who have their sights set on climbing the Island Division standings of the B.C. Hockey League.
To make a move up, the 10-15-0-3 Grizzlies will have to get through these two divisional games against first-place Nanaimo (16-10-0-1) and last-place Alberni Valley (10-14-1-1).
Tonight marks the midway point of the season and it’s the continuation of an extended homestand in which Victoria plays seven of the next 10 at home before the lengthy Christmas break.
“It was exciting to get a big win at home, especially against Cowichan, in front of a great crowd and we’re hoping to carry that forward this weekend,” captain P.J. Conlon said of last Friday’s 6-2 win, which snapped a three-game losing skid.
“We’re trying to focus on Nanaimo first. They’re a good team and have good speed, especially at the top of their lineup, so we’ll have to watch for that,” he added. “We’re hoping that the win against Cowichan will get another streak going.”
The Grizzlies had won five straight and collected points in seven consecutive prior to the three-game hiccup.
IN THE DEN: Mark Krabben comes off the injury list today, which means Didmon will have to chop one body to make room.
