The Pacific Junior Hockey League roster deadline came and went Thursday and no team was busier than the Richmond Sockeyes.
The defending Cyclone Taylor Cup champions pulled off three separate deals with the Port Moody Panthers — acquiring forwards Konstantinos Rados (20) and Ryleigh Anderson (19), along with goaltender Maurico Soriano-McKinnon (18) — all for future considerations.
Rados was third in Panthers scoring with 29 points in 35 games, including 13 goals. Anderson had four points in just eight games. Soriano-McKinnon made his Sockeyes debut in Thursday’s 11-1 romp of the Surrey Knights.
To make room in the goal crease, Richmond sent Evan McCune to the White Rock Whalers for futures.
The Sockeyes’ work wasn’t done there. The club welcomed back 20-year-old defenceman Devon Vorster while forward Nick Wilson, 19, has signed with Prince George of the B.C. Hockey League.
Vorster had spent the past two seasons with the Sockeyes and the hometown product will be looking to conclude his junior career on a winning note. His addition is key given captain Matthew Brown is sidelined with an injury.
Wilson joined the club after he was released by the Nanaimo Clippers back in November. He had 13 points in 12 games.
The Sockeyes (24-7-2-1) should get their ninth straight win when they complete a home-and-home series with the Knights (1-35-0-1) on Sunday (4:45 p.m.) at Minoru. Richmond will then welcome White Rock next Thursday (7 p.m.) before a big home-and-home series with league-leading North Vancouver (Jan. 24-26). The Sockeyes are four points back of the Wolf Pack (27-8-0-1) with two games in hand.
Icing…
Goaltender Jeremy Kelleway, defencemen Jacob Keremidschieff, Ryan Wellburn, along with forwards Evan Hasakovic and Rados will be representing the Sockeyes in Monday’s PJHL All-Star Game in Maple Ridge.
