JUNIOR HOCKEY NOTEBOOK

By Pat Payton

 

Last week, GM Greg Smale reported that one centreman was returning to St. Marys Lincolns, and one centreman was leaving.

Back with the Lincs is centre Josh Martin, an 18-year-old from Elmira who spent all of last season in St. Marys. Martin recently had a tryout with Rockland Nationals, a Provincial Tier II Jr. ‘A’ team in the Ottawa area, but decided to return to the Lincolns.

“In a span of 72 hours, we thought we had lost him, got him back, lost him and got him back again,” Smale said. “It was pretty crazy.”

As a rookie last year, Martin had 11 goals, 23 points and 16 penalty minutes in 48 games to finish sixth in team scoring.

Veteran pivot Austin Maietta, meanwhile, was traded to Cambridge Redhawks, of the Midwestern Conference, for cash. The 20-year-old Vaughan native spent parts of two seasons with the Lincs. Last year, Maietta had five goals and nine points in 27 games.

New defenceman from Kincardine

The GM also announced the signing of a new defenceman, Brennan Long. The 18-year-old from Kincardine played last season for Goderich Jr. ‘C’ Flyers and had four goals and 12 points in 39 games. The 6 ft., 1 inch, 180 lb. Long played in all four of Lincs’ pre-season games.

“He’s a good stay-at-home defenceman, a solid defender,” Smale said.

In other Lincolns’ news, goalie Gleb Poliakov got the green light last week to skate with the team. The 18-year-old, who was recently sidelined with mononucleosis, did not play in a pre-season game. Poliakov, who has both French and Russian citizenship, has lived in Canada for just three years.

Notes:

–All upcoming Lincolns’ games are being broadcast live on St. Marys Radio.

–Lincs’ season tickets are on sale. The team is offering a special price of $99 (a $240 value) until the Lincolns’ home opener on Sept. 13. That’s good for 24 regular-season home games. After Sept. 13, season’s tickets will cost $120. They can be purchased at Guest Services at the PRC.

–The Independent has learned this week that Sam Sedley has signed with the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack.

The 16-year-old St. Marys native was drafted by the Attack in the fourth round this past summer. Last season, the talented defenceman was captain of the Huron-Perth Minor Midget Lakers.