Leaving the Bird house
Two more high-end players who skated for Soo Thunderbirds during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons have asked to be traded from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team.
Thunderbirds general manager Kevin Cain has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com that 1994 birth-year defenceman David Radke and 1995 birth-year forward Joey Miller have requested trades.
Radke, who was a top four defender with the Thunderbirds, had 3 goals, 25 assists, 28 points in 54 regular-season games and added 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points in 15 playoff matches in 2013-2014.
One team interested in Radke is the 2013-2014 North American Hockey League champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs, who have already invited the smooth-skating defender to an upcoming tryout camp.
Miller is coming off a productive 2013-2014 campaign in which he had 20 goals, 25 assists, 45 points in 56 regular-season games and 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points in 15 playoff contests for the Thunderbirds.
Earlier this off-season, 2013-2014 first all-star team goalie and NOJHL most valuable player Joel Horodziejczyk asked for a trade and the Thunderbirds moved him to Pembroke Lumberkings of the Central Canada Hockey League.
The Thunderbirds finished in first place during the 2013-2014 regular season but lost to Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in the NOJHL championship series.
PHOTO: Defenceman David Radke has asked the Soo Thunderbirds to trade him. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)
WTF ???????????????
Hey Kevin I guess all is not well in the Bird Nest eh? How can it go from a team that everyone wanted to play for to a team everyone wants to leave?
looks like Tim Clayden isn’t the only one recognizing that there will be zero scouting going on of the NOJHL. If the #1 Jr. team in Canada can’t draw scouts to watch their players, there is something wrong with the NOJHL system.
Awesome awesome awesome reporting Randy.
Good on Radke and Miller to leave this cesspool of a league. I never knew Mazzuca and his gang were so “full of it” until you exposed them Randy. Great reporting. Maybe Radke and Miller will line up with the Attack next year. They wouldn’t need a release and could just sign up with this great new team in this great new league.
If Randy’s right (and he usually is), this league will much much better than the terrible NOJHL and the scouts will flock to Rankin, as they certainly will to Espanola, St-Charles and Capreol as well as the four Southern towns.
Awesome reporting Randy. Keep up the good fight!
They aren’t exactly leaving for the CIHL though, are they?
It does not say that. It says they have asked to be traded.