FORT McMURRAY, AB (January 11, 2015) – The Fort McMurray Oil Barons acquired 1996-born defenceman Brett Doiron (St. Ann’s, PEI) from the Grande Prairie Storm in exchange for future considerations at the January 10th Alberta Junior Hockey League trade deadline.
The Barons also traded 1995-born forward Kyle Star (Langley, BC) to the Brooks Bandits for future considerations.
Doiron, 18, had recorded 8 points and 92 penalty minutes in 32 games for Grande Prairie in his first season in the AJHL. Last year, he split 43 games in the Maritime Hockey League (MHL) between the Pictou County Weeks Crushers and Summerside Western Capitals, where he recorded 10 points and 74 PIMs.
Prior to his junior hockey career, Doiron spent two years at Rothesay Netherwood School in Rothesay, New Brunswick, the same school that produced Oil Barons alternate captain Mitch Vanderlaan (Hanwell, NB) and former Oil Barons forward Mitch Byrne (Onaping, ON).
“We researched a lot of different angles, and in the end there were a few criteria,” explained Oil Barons general manager and head coach Curtis Hunt. “One, a left shot, so now we can balance the defencemen a little bit. Two, playing with some grit, and a little bit of bite. I think that adds another dimension to our defence.”
“[Doiron] is an ex-teammate of Mitch Vanderlaan’s; we certainly have seen the work ethic of our eastern players,” added Hunt. “With [Brett] McNeil, we know how he plays with bite and grit, as well as Vandy with his relentless play, and we would expect the same thing with Doiron as well, and that’s what our research told us.”
Doiron is expected to join the team this week.
Star had recorded 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 20 games as an Oil Baron after being acquired from the Olds Grizzlys in early November.
The Oil Barons would like to thank Kyle for his service to the organization and wish him the best of luck in Brooks.
Tickets are on sale for the Oil Barons’ next home game, Friday January 23rd against the Okotoks Oilers. They can be purchased at the Casman Centre, by phone at (780) 743-5509, or online at tickets.oilbarons.com.