The Vancouver Giants have turned to the Richmond Sockeyes to develop one of their top prospects.
The Western Hockey League club announced last week 16-yearold goaltender Payton Lee will spend the 2012-13 season with Richmond. The Cranbrook native made his Pacific International Junior Hockey League debut on Saturday night in a 2-1 overtime loss to the North Delta Devils. Lee stopped 21 of 23 shots.
He was the Giants top pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and made three appearances with the club last season as a 15-year-old call-up from Major Midget. After giving him a long look at training camp, Giants head coach Don Hay decided a year of seasoning with the Sockeyes would best serve Lee's progress.
"He is our future," said Hay. "But for now, we want him to go and develop and play as much as he can at the Junior B level where we can keep a close eye on him."
Lee will share the crease work with second-year netminder Kootenay Alder who got the start in Richmond's season-opening 5-3 win over the Grandview Steelers last Thursday. Until Lee had been re-assigned, the Sockeyes were waiting on former Greater Vancouver Canadians goalie Chris Tai who had already been signed by the club but remains in contention for the back-up job with the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Even if Tai becomes available, Richmond will move forward with Alder and Lee manning the crease.
"We think adding Payton Lee gives us a good goalie tandem," said Sockeyes general manager Richard Petrowsky.
The Devils spoiled Lee's debut thanks to some excellent work at the other end of the ice.
Tyler Read's 30 save performance earned him first star honours as the Devils escaped with the win on Devon Elford's goal at 3: 22 of the extra frame.
The teams had exchanged goals back in the first period with captain Sam Chichak scoring on the power play for Richmond.
Chichak added a goal and an assist in the opening night win against Grandview as Richmond took control with three unanswered goals in the second period.
Rudi Thorsteinson, Justin White, Justin Lachance and Dominic Cents also scored. Alder made 34 saves.
The Sockeyes return to action Thursday when the Port Moody Panthers visit Minoru at 7: 30 p.m.
