After adding four defensemen and a goalie earlier this summer, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team announced the commitmentment of four forwards for the 2012-13 season.
Headlining the latest recruits for the Horns is the former captain of the Kamloops Blazers' Chase Schaber. The 6'0" centre from Red Deer, Alta. set career highs in goals and points during his final season with 23 goals and 52 points in only 61 games.
Schaber suited up for 277 career WHL games with the Blazers and Calgary Hitmen, tallying 68 goals and 102 assists. He is also the second WHL captain that the 'Horns have added this season, with the other being former Victoria Royals captain Hayden Rintoul.
"It is always a good thing to add a WHL captain to your dressing room," says Horns head coach Greg Gatto. "Chase is the number one centreman we've been looking for and he'll bring a tremendous amount of leadership to our team."
Joining Schaber directly from the WHL is Cody Chikie. Another centre, Chikie joins the 'Horns after playing the last three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets. Last season, Chikie tied his career high in goals with 18 and set a career high in points with 33 in 60 games.
Chikie began his WHL career with the Saskatoon Blades and finished with 201 career games and registered 49 goals and 48 assists.
"Cody's biggest asset is his speed, and he is going to be a big addition to our specialty teams," says Gatto. "We also feel that he'll be able to chip in offensively."
Former WHLer Killian Hutt joins the 'Horns after playing his 20-year-old season with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. With the Oil Barons, Hutt recorded 61 points in 52 regular season games and 27 points in 21 playoff games as the Oil Barons lost in the AJHL final to the Brooks Bandits.
Prior to joining the Oil Barons, Hutt played three seasons in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks, Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos. Hutt suited up in 116 games during the three seasons and scored a career high 13 goals as a rookie with the Winterhawks.
"Killian will add some much needed skill to our power play," says Gatto. "He proved last year that he has some offensive up-side and produced during the Oil Barons playoff run."
Rounding out the 2012-13 recruiting class is former AJHLer Taylor Fraser. The St. Albert, AB native played three full seasons with his hometown Steel, before wrapping up his junior career with the Spruce Grove Saints. In 231 games in the AJHL, Fraser registered 77 goals, including a career high 35 during the 2010-11 season and 78 assists.
"Taylor provides us with a big body on the right side and he can put the puck in the net. He scored 35 times as a 19-year old in St. Albert," says Gatto.
The 'Horns kick-off their non-conference schedule this weekend playing the newest Canada West member, Mount Royal Cougars, Friday night in Calgary before returning home to host the Calgary Dinos Saturday night, 7 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
