FORT McMURRAY, AB (September 11, 2014) – The Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League have added 1994-born right wing/centre Trent Lofthouse (Surrey, BC) and 1996-born centre/right-wing Michael Sauer (Bemidji, MN) to the roster, the team announced today.
Lofthouse, a 6’3” 185lb forward, comes to the Barons after a 3 year WHL career, where he played 148 games split between the Everett Silvertips, Victoria Royals, and most recently, the Vancouver Giants, where he scored 10 goals and 5 assists in 36 games last season.
“Trent gives us an obvious addition of size up front,” said Oil Barons head coach and general manager Curtis Hunt. “But beyond that, he is a player with great speed, puck skills, and a great shot.”
“We expect he’ll supplement our scoring ability, and his ability to play in the middle gives us some more versatility,” Hunt added. “We’ll be throwing him right in the fire, and we’re really excited to get a player of his calibre.”
The 5’11”, 170lb Sauer joins the MOB after spending last year with the midget Cleveland Barons of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League in the United States, where he scored 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 35 games, tying for fourth in team scoring on a squad that posted the best record in its division.
“We think Michael adds some excellent qualities to our hockey club,” said Hunt. “He has demonstrated great speed and an ability to score. We’re hopeful he’ll find his touch with our team.”
Sauer played his bantam hockey in 2010-11 at the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary’s School in Faribault, MN, posting 70 points in 60 games, including 43 goals. He spent the next two seasons at Bemidji High School, where in his final season he scored 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists) in 30 games, tying for second in team scoring as a sophomore.
Both new Oil Barons will join the team for the completion of their current road trip in Grande Prairie, where the team plays on Friday and Saturday nights, with both games starting at 7:30.
Tickets are on sale for the MOB’s next home game, Saturday September 20th against the Olds Grizzlys at 8:00 PM, at tickets.oilbarons.com.