Friday, October 14, 2011

Whalers Trade RJ Mahalak to Sarnia for Draft Pick

Press Release

Plymouth Whalers General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci announced the trade of overage left wing RJ Mahalak to the Sarnia Sting in exchange for a sixth round draft choice in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The draft choice originally belonged to the London Knights.

The deal allows the Whalers to get down to the three overages (or 1991 birthdays). OHL teams are allowed to play just three overage players. With Jamie Devane returning to Plymouth from Toronto of the American Hockey League earlier this week and making his Whalers debut Thursday in Windsor, the Plymouth overages are now Devane, center Andy Bathgate and defenseman Beau Schmitz.

Mahalak - from Monroe, MI - was originally selected by Plymouth in the fourth round (80th overall) of the 2007 Ontario Hockey League Draft. In 207 regular season games with the Whalers, Mahalak scored 20 goals with 34 assists for 54 points and 253 PIM's and was +14.

Mahalak joins a Sarnia team that now has four overages - center Taylor Carnevale, defenseman Daniel Broussard, goaltender Brandon Maxwell and now Mahalak. OHL teams have to cut down to three overage players by the Jan. 9, 2012 Final Trade Deadline.

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

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