Wild Cut 5 From Training Camp
The Minnesota Wild announced today that they have cut five players from training camp, reducing the number of players at camp to 52. The five players are goaltender Alexandre Belanger, defenseman Tanner Faith, and forwards Chase Lang, Reid Duke, and Pavel Jenys.
None of the five were a part of yesterday’s preseason opener against the Winnipeg Jets. All five players will be heading back to their respective junior teams.
Alexandre Belanger returns to Rouyn-Noranda of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). It will be his third season in the Q and possibly his last, unless circumstances lead to him deciding to play his overage year.
Pavel Jenys will return to the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League, where he was selected in the first round of the import draft this year. He’ll vie to be the top line center in Sudbury after having some very good moments in training camp scrimmages and the Traverse City Prospects Tournament. This will be his first season playing in North America.
Defenseman Tanner Faith returns to Kootenay of the Western Hockey League. He has shown a lot of promise after getting drafted much lower than he may have expected, largely due to missing most of last season with a shoulder injury that he suffered in October, just ten games into the Kootenay season.
Chase Lang will return to a very solid Calgary Hitmen lineup in the WHL. This will be Lang’s third season with the Hitmen. He scored ten goals and 15 assists with the team last season.
And finally, Reid Duke will return to the terrible Lethbridge Hurricanes where he was a minus-47 last season. Duke appeared to be looking into other places to play this offseason after Lethbridge finished last in the WHL with a record of 12-55-2 last year. Considering that the team was outscored 358 to 171 last year, Duke’s minus-47 rating doesn’t seem that bad and his 15 goals and 25 assists seems pretty admirable. Despite looking around, Duke returns to Lethbridge, a team where many good players have requested trades in recent years. It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Duke get traded or request a trade at some point during the season.
Four of the five players released are 18-years-old and 2014 draft picks. The only exception is Belanger and he’s the only non-invitee goaltender at camp who won’t be playing inside the Wild system this season. Belanger is 19 and a 2013 draft pick.
None of the five players were invitees. All players invited to a PTO or ATO at training camp remain at camp.