The Vernon Vipers have made a shakeup to their goaltending position.
After acquiring former Kelowna Rockets netminder Jari Kykkanen, Vernon shipped out their starter, Colin Reay, to the Prince George Spruce Kings in exchange for future considerations.
“It’s never easy to move a player with Colin’s character,” said Vipers bench boss Lukas Lomicky. “But we believe this trade will give him an opportunity to play more consistently and continue his development toward his ultimate goal of playing at higher levels.”
Reay accumulated 14 wins and nine losses through two seasons in 31 games played. The Sherwood Park, Alta., native had two shutouts and a goals-against-average of 2.85, with a save percentage of .914.
The Spruce Kings have given up 94 goals in 23 games, a paltry 4.09 average. Reay will look to shore up the back end for a team that is second-last in the Coastal Conference with a 7-13-2-1 record.
Vernon now has the veteran Kykkanen and the Arizona State commit Marko Bilic between the pipes.
The Vipers' next game is Friday, Dec. 6, against the 18-4 Brooks Bandits. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. from Kal Tire Place.
