STORM ACQUIRE FORWARD

Press Release

When Nick Weiss sits down in the Grande Prairie Storm dressing room this fall he’ll have lots to talk about with Storm forward Daniel Dale.

The two forwards were teammates when the Notre Dame Hounds won the Telus Cup, the Canadian midget hockey championship, in the spring of 2010.

Storm coach/general manager Blaine Bablitz is hoping Weiss, who was acquired from the Ontario Junior Hockey League Whitby Fury this week, will bring some of that championship flavor to the Storm for the coming season.

Weiss, who turns 19 on August 16, showed some offensive talent as a midget with 32 points (15 goals and 17 assists) in his last year of midget and was the team’s second leading scorer in the playoffs that championship season with 14 points (five goals and nine assists) in the playoffs.

Bablitz, however, will be looking for some physical play along with some offence from the 6-foot-2, 215 pound forward.

”I am extremely excited to have added Nick to our hockey team,” Bablitz said. “He is a big, strong, power forward who plays tough and physical, but will also be looked upon to add offence to our line up. Nick can play both the wing and center and so at this point I am not exactly sure which will be the best fit for Nick.”

In his first Junior A season Weiss started with the OJHL Coboug Cougars before being traded to the Fury. He had six goals, four assists and 32 penalty minutes in 30 games with the two teams.

Bablitz personally hasn’t seen Weiss play, but those who have like what he brings.

”Nick was described to me as an absolute warrior so I can not wait to see him first hand,” Bablitz said. “I look forward to meeting Nick and his family this fall at our training camp.”

Weiss, a native of Port Hope, Ont., is a three sport star. He is an accomplished Junior A lacrosse player and also starred as quarterback for the Notre Dame football team.

The Storm fall camp will open on August 24 with fitness testing.

The league schedule is expected to be released on June 15.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)