Head coach and general manager Geoff Grimwood, and the Swan Valley Stampeders, completed a massive trade on Tuesday July 15th, 2019. The Stampeders acquired 1999 born goaltender Vincent Duplessis, 1999 forward Frazer Dodd, and 2000 born forward Justin Plett from the Merritt Centennials of the BCHL in exchange for 2000 born forward Matthew Osadick.
The club continued to bolster their lineup for the upcoming season acquiring some grit upfront and a solid 20-year-old netminder.
Duplessis, a 6’1” 165 lbs goaltender from Québec City, QC played in 22 games for the Centennials over the past two seasons. He posted a 2.97 GAA and a .926 SVS% in 2 games during the 2017-18 season. The now 20-year-old followed that up with a 3.21 GAA and a .906 SVS% in 20 games played during the 2018-19 season.
“Vincent is ready to be a #1 goalie in Jr. A and I feel he can carry a team.” said Grimwood. “He has played in an excellent program in Merritt the last two seasons and we are really excited to have him join the Stampeders. We want to build our team from the net out, and Vincent gives us a really strong presence in the crease.”
Dodd, a 6’0” 170 lbs forward from Hazelton, BC tallied 4 assists in 2017-18. The 20-year-old scored 4 goals and added 9 assists in 34 games last season with Merritt.
“Fraser is a really strong two way forward who is going to have the opportunity to produce offensively with us,” said Grimwood. “He was part of a very deep team in Merritt last year and I feel if given a more offensive role, will be a guy who can produce. He is strong, plays hard, has tremendous leadership capabilities and is going to be a very important player for us.”
Plett is a 5’11” 185 lbs forward who hails from Abbotsford, BC. He picked up 4 goals and 3 assists in 40 games during the 2018-19 season with the Weyburn Red Wings of the SJHL. Plett’s rights were recently acquired by Merritt.
“Justin is a very gifted offensive player. His numbers in BC Major Midget for two years running were some of the best in province.” stated Grimwood. “I think last year in Weyburn wasn’t a great year for him, and we are going to give him the opportunity to bounce back with us. Overall we have a lot of offence to replace from last season and Justin is going to be given an opportunity to do that.”
The Stampeders send Osadick’s CJHL playing rights to Merritt in return. The 18-year-old from Grande Pointe, MB scored a total of 44 goals and added 60 assists over the course of 99 games with the Stamps’.
“Matt has been a really important member of the Stampeders the last few seasons.” said Grimwood. “His contributions to the teams run last year to Game 7 of the MJHL Final last season were vital to the teams success. Obviously we didn’t want to lose Matt, but as part of his development it was best to move on and gain more experience in a different league before attending the University of Maine. We were hopeful he would come back for one more season, but in the end we feel the trade helps Matt move on with his career and makes us a deeper hockey club for next season.”
We want to thank Matt for his hard work and dedication to the Stampeder brand over the last two seasons and wish him nothing but the best with his new team.
We want to welcome Vincent, Fazer, and Justin, along with their families to the Stampeder Organization.
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