Eric Henderson Joins St Thomas

[flyers2011]

The London Knights have sent Eric Henderson to the Stars, just curious would the Flyers have had to allow this, didn't they have his rights ?

[Caledonia Fan]

Pointstreak Transactions -Eric Henderson added to team (St THOMAS) rights obtained from Leamington.
Great move for St Thomas, he had a great year last year and he's young. But the Leamington fans know more than I do.
I just saw him play in the Sutherland Cup he sure impressed me and I think he was 16.

[Port hockey1]

I'm surprised by this too. Must have been a reason for trading his rights. Is St.Thomas closer to London than Leamington? I know OHL teams have wanted picks closer to their cities in the past.

St.Thomas has been quite the surprise early. They look to have a top line that's racking up the points. Adding this kid will give them some much needed depth. Teams have won in this league without solid defenses in the past. If they keep getting good goaltending, they could be a force all season.

But without adding some defense at the deadline, those kind of teams normally fizzle out in the playoffs.

[Marcie]

St. Thomas is a stone's throw from London. Leamington is two hours away. Leamington is not the type of organization that would hold a boy back. It is in his best interest to be close to the Knights. My guess is he likely practices with both the Knights and the Stars. A similar situation happened a few years ago when the Rockets affiliated with the Knights. Some players practiced with both teams and played for both. It worked out well.

[Oglethorp]

I'm surprised by this too. Must have been a reason for trading his rights. Is St.Thomas closer to London than Leamington? I know OHL teams have wanted picks closer to their cities in the past.

St.Thomas has been quite the surprise early. They look to have a top line that's racking up the points. Adding this kid will give them some much needed depth. Teams have won in this league without solid defenses in the past. If they keep getting good goaltending, they could be a force all season.

But without adding some defense at the deadline, those kind of teams normally fizzle out in the playoffs.

I agree St Thomas is very close to being a top contender with the additions of Henderson and Valentini. Adding a few parts by the trade deadline will solidify their position. Defence is the obvious place to upgrade, because in playoffs defence wins. Fraser (LSP) or Whitworth (STM) for their offence and Laberge (SRY) or MacKinnon (CHA) as shutdown guys would be great additions in St Thomas top 4. Add in a big game goalie like Gubbles or Oulette from SRY and I think they could be the team to beat

[flyers2011]

I heard the reasoning for this move and this is why the Leamington Flyers are one of the best organizations around, doing what was best for the kid, kudos to Piroski and staff for putting the kid first.

[RocketGirl]

It's some night thoughts Oggie, but good luck trying to get those 3 out of Strathroy.

[Oglethorp]

It's some night thoughts Oggie, but good luck trying to get those 3 out of Strathroy.

Last year Strathroy gave their overage captain a chance to win the Sutherland Cup when they sent him to Leamington. Would they do the same for Laberge? He has stuck around while many of his friends have gone to chase the Schmalz cup in Exeter to finish off their careers. Oulette is also in his final year. The question really is how much would or could St Thomas pay if veteran players were made available. Last season St Marys sent their top goalie and defenceman to Sarnia and acquired a 17 year old defenceman in Whitworth with a separate trade. I think for St Thomas sacrificing a few of their 17 or 18 year olds to get some experienced vets could be a win win if they were to deal with a young upcoming team like Strathroy. The dividends of such a deal for the Rockets maybe a year or two away but likely worth it in 2017-18 when their team matures.

I agree RG difficult to get them out of Strathroy but not out of the realm of possibilities. Of course there are other deals that St Thomas will likely be able to make if the would like to go for it all this year. That said lots can happen between now and the trade deadline.

[RocketGirl]

There's circumstances regarding last year's trade that you're not aware of, and I'm not getting into specifics because I don't share team secrets, but Laberge wants to be a Strathroy Rocket. He's worked hard to become the captain of his hometown team and they'd have to be offering some serious cash to get him to leave.

I can't speak to the goalie situation, but I really can't see the Stars getting rid of Dampier or Black.

[Oglethorp]

There's circumstances regarding last year's trade that you're not aware of, and I'm not getting into specifics because I don't share team secrets, but Laberge wants to be a Strathroy Rocket. He's worked hard to become the captain of his hometown team and they'd have to be offering some serious cash to get him to leave.

I can't speak to the goalie situation, but I really can't see the Stars getting rid of Dampier or Black.

I don't think it becomes a matter of looking to "get rid" of anyone when your team is clicking like St Thomas is. If a player should become available that is an upgrade especially at a key defensive position it then becomes more about numbers than anything else. Laberge and Oulette are just examples that I used because of the composition of this years Strathroy team and the fact that this is their last chance to win. Obviously the wishes of the veteran players involved play a big part, if a player wishes stay put I suspect that wish would be granted.

As for circumstances regarding last years trades and player departures, I may know a bit more than one might assume.