Big Bad Joel Stewart now a Nelson Leaf
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr,
The Nelson Daily Sports
Leaf coach and GM Chris Shaw continues to tinker with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League squad.
The Leafs added 6’1, 190-pound winger Joel Stewart to the roster in a futures deal with the Spokane Braves.
“(Joel) is a tough two-way player who can score goals and is a big-time agitator,” Shaw said Saturday when asked about his new recruit. “Guys (in this league) don’t like to play against him.”
“I know the guys were saying when I told them I acquired (Joel) is about how they hated playing against that guy,” Shaw added.
In 16 games this season with the Braves Stewart scored eight goals for 16 points. The larger stat may be Stewart’s 86 minutes in penalties.
“He going to bring some secondary scoring as well as a little more toughness added to our team,” Shaw explained.
Stewart is the latest deal for the rookie Leaf skipper. Last month Shaw acquired Kyle Alexander from the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Alexander’s stay was a short one — two games before being traded south of the border to Helena, Mont.
Shaw then picked up winger Evan Moir. The 6’2”, 190-pound Moir played with the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
“With the core group of guys we have there might be one or two moves made,” Shaw said. “You never know what’s going to happen with injuries . . . . Right now we’re kind of hit with the injury bug so you’ve got to bring another player in when you’ve got a player out for four to six weeks.”
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