Voodoos making multiple moves
The Powassan Voodoos have been busy completing several trades as the club's main camp approaches.
The Voodoos acquired 2006 birth year forward Matthew Diniz and defenceman Dawson Coleman from the Winchester Hawks of the Eastern Ontario Jr. ‘B’ Hockey League (EOJHL) for a development fee.
Diniz, a 5’10”, 170 pound forward, netted 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 44 games last season with the Hawks.
Meantime Coleman, a 2006 birth year defender, netted 1 goal and 16 assists for 17 points in 43 games with the Hawks last season.
Voodoos head coach Peter Goulet then pulled the trigger again, bringing in hard-working 20-year-old forward Kaleb Ellard from the Valley Timberwolves of the EOJHL for a development fee.
Ellard netted 4 goals and added 3 assists for 7 points in 24 games with the Timberwolves last season. Goulet sees similarities between Ellard and former Voodoos forward Liam Serviss.
The three players all attended Voodoos training camp in July where they stood out during the two day prospects camp at Pete Palangio arena in North Bay.
In another move the Voodoos shipped defenceman Jaden Sturge to the Renfrew Wolves of the Central Canadian Jr. ‘A’ Hockey League (CCHL) in exchange for 2005 birth year power forward Nathan Pelletier.
Pelletier, 6’4”, 195-pound forward from Quebec City, scored 1 goal and 8 assists for 9 points in 40 games last season with the Wolves.
Peter Goulet, Voodoos head coach, says Pelletier was a player he has been watching for a while including his final year of U18 where he netted 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points in 46 games with Le Sommet Academy U18 in the Canadian High School Hockey League in 2022-23.
"We really like his size and he was a player coming out of sports school that we wanted so when we got the opportunity to acquire the power forward I certainly jumped on it," said Goulet.
In a pair of other moves, the Voodoos moved out forwards Mathieu MacMillan and Chase Thompson to the Ontario Junior ‘A’ Hockey League (OJHL) for development fees.
MacMillan was sent to the Burlington Cougars while Thompson was traded to the Cobourg Cougars.
The two forwards were both members of Team NOJHL last fall. MacMillan led the Voodoos in scoring last season with 25 goals and 48 assists for 75 points in 52 games last season.
Meantime local product Thompson netted 24 goals and 40 assists for 64 points in 56 games last season.
"We want to thank Chase Thompson, Mathieu MacMillan, and Jaden Sturge for the last two years with the Powassan Voodoos, we wish all 3 a great season in with their new teams," said Goulet.
The Voodoos start main camp on August 22nd in Powassan.
Photo: Nathan Pelletier in action last season with the Renfrew Wolves. Photo courtesy Renfrew Wolves.
