The Kootenay Ice sacrificed a bit of their future Tuesday to upgrade their skill level and experience in the present with a multi-player trade with the Kamloops Blazers.
The Ice acquired veteran sniper Tim Bozon and defenceman Landon Cross from the Blazers and sent forward Collin Shirley, defenceman Matt Thomas and three draft picks, including their first rounder in 2015, to Kamloops.
Bozon, 19 and a draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, scored 36 goals and 55 assists last season. Cross, also 19, is a 6-foot-2 blue-liner who had a goal and 15 assists last season and was a plus-24.
The Ice, in third place in the Central Division with a 6-5-2-0 record, already have 2012 WHL rookie of the year Sam Reinhart in their lineup. Reinhart is second in the league scoring race with 32 points.
The Blazers, at 4-9-0-0, continue to be in rebuilding mode this season.
“Obviously our record isn’t where we want it to be,” Blazers GM Craig Bonner said. “I just thought, for both parties, it was probably time to move on and look at some options.”
Bozon’s play to this point in the season hasn’t lived up to seasons past. He has just three goals and four assists in 13 games.
— With files from Kamloops Daily News
