Leafs continue to tinker with roster, acquire Austin Steger from Campbell River
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Nelson Leafs continue to tinker with the roster during the offseason as the club builds for the 2016-17 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League campaign.
The franchise completed its third deal during the month of June, landing 20-year-old defenceman Austin Steger from the Campbell River Storm.
Sent to the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League squad in exchange for Steger was defenceman Max Daerendinger and the rights to defenceman Austin Anselmo.
“Austin is very offensive and puts up huge points for a D-man,” Leafs Sean Dooley said when asked about the 5’9”, 185-pound Steger.
“We wanted to bring in that veteran presence through a 20-year-old on our back end and we very excited about acquiring him.”
Steger should be no stranger to Leaf fans, having toiled for the past two seasons with Creston Valley Thunder Cats before being moved mid season to Campbell River.
In 66 regular season games with Creston and the Storm, the Edmonton native scored 17 goals while adding 31 assists for 48 points.
“The big move (in the deal) was Max (Daerendinger),” Dooley said of the smooth skating 6’2”, 185-pound defenceman from Vancouver who registered 17 points in 37 games with the Leafs.
“We’ve had all kinds of offers for Daerendinger in the last few months and we had no interest in moving him what so ever.” “However, Max has received huge Jr.A attention . . . even offers of roster spots,” Dooley added.
“We felt that we would not see Max back and were willing to take the chance and get Austin Steger.”
Anselmo came to Nelson after playing one BC Hockey League game with Trail Smoke Eaters.
The 5’10” 170-pound Anselmo had 18 points for Nelson before being shipped to Surrey Eagles of the BCHL in January.
Dooley felt the chance of Anselmo returning to Junior B was slim so sending his rights to the Storm was the easy part of the deal.
Nelson started making changes to the roster that bowed out of the KIJHL playoffs in straight games to Beaver Valley Nitehawks earlier this month by sending center Austin Lindsay and cash to Ridge Meadows Flames of the Pacific Junior Hockey League for two players — forward Dale Howell and netminder Jason Sandhu.
Management then acquired Nelson Minor Hockey power forward Sawyer Hunt from the Kimberley Dynamiters for forward Nick Ketola and future considerations.
Nelson, struggling to finish fourth in the Murdoch Division before being ousted from post season, opens the KIJHL season with main camp August 12-15 at the NDCC Arena.
