Exhibition play on tap as Greyhounds trim roster to 25

With the Ontario Hockey League’s exhibition season clearly in sight, the Soo Greyhounds had some decisions to make on Friday night.

Those decisions involved getting their training camp roster down to a manageable number ahead of exhibition play at home this weekend.

The cuts came following the Greyhounds’ annual Luke Williams Memorial Red and White game at the GFL Memorial Gardens.

Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said Thursday night that the team expected to carry between 25 and 30 players heading into exhibition play with some players preparing to head to National Hockey League training camps in September.

Following Friday’s Red/White game, Raftis talked further about the decisions.

“Right now, when you’re making cuts, some of the guys are going to stick around moreso for the experience,” Raftis said. “The whole month of September is more fluid depending on what happens with NHL camps, with other rosters shaking out. It’s a time when you can carry a few extra (players). Some are going to be in a situation where they’re battling for a spot and some are just for the experience moving forward.”

Raftis also said that the difference between a player being cut and remaining on the roster sometimes can depend on the organization’s roster makeup heading into the season.

“Some years maybe the age is a preference because it’s going to be a younger group and to keep that young group together type of idea,” Raftis said. “The other side of that is, you might have two players that are close, but one brings an element, whether it’s speed or physicality, something that maybe you don’t have.

“We try to look at our forward group in pairs and then you try to find that (thought of) ‘Hey, maybe that guy can drive that line,’ and try to fit that,” Raftis added. “Chemistry jumps out after that.”

Following Friday evening’s contest, the Greyhounds announced that the team would move ahead with a roster of 25 players.

The roster includes:

• Goaltenders (three): Charlie Schenkel, Landon Miller, Reid Thomas
• Defencemen (eight) - Keegan Gillen, Caeden Carlisle, Charles Ashcroft, David Holub, Hunter Solomon, Andrew Gibson, Brodie McConnell-Barker, Spencer Evans
• Forwards (14) - Carson Andrew, Brady Smith, Erik Muxlow, Justin Cloutier, Marco Mignosa, Julian Fantino, Tate Vader, Justin DeZoete, Travis Hayes, Nolan Long, Sam Bowness, Brady Martin, Christopher Brown, Owen Allard

Players who were released or re-assigned following the game include: goaltender Zack Irvin; defencemen Isaiah Allen, Parker Evans, Michael Zuyev, and Ethan Mann; and forwards James Elliott, Joey Martin, Colton Bain, Carter Fogarty, Kalyn McQueen, Nathan Seed, Lucas Lagoutte, Owen Kelly, John Collins-Williams, Ricky Wilson, and Ryan Scriven.

The Greyhounds open exhibition play on Sunday afternoon at home against the Sudbury Wolves.