PLYMOUTH – Plymouth Whalers General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci announced the acquisition 20-year-old left wing Carter Sandlak from the Belleville Bulls in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2014 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
“We’re excited to acquire Carter,” Vellucci said. “He’s a big, strong power forward who will help us in all situations. We feel Carter plays Plymouth Whalers hockey.”
Sandlak - from London, ON and 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds - was originally selected in the first round (11th overall) by Guelph in the 2009 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and was acquired by Belleville on Dec.1, 2010 in a deal for Richard Panik. Second round draft choices went both ways in the trade.
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Sandlak enjoyed his best season in the OHL last year with Belleville, scoring nine goals with 14 assists for 23 points with 98 PIM’s and was +4 in 60 games. He also scored four goals with three assists for seven points in 15 playoff games last season for the Bulls. In 211 career games in the OHL, Sandlak has 35 goals with 39 assists for 74 points and 278 PIM’s.
VIDEO: Sandlak scored against the Whalers on Sept. 22, 2012 at Compuware Arena in a 3-2 Belleville shootout win. Sandlak's goal - on a rebound - comes around the 1:40 mark in the video.
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Sandlak’s father, Jim, is a scout for the Anaheim Ducks. He played in the OHL for the London Knights from 1983-85 before moving to the National Hockey League from 1985-96 with Vancouver and Hartford.
AUDIO: Jim Sandlak speaks about Anaheim prospects Rickard Rakelland John Gibson during the 2012 OHL Playoffs.
Earlier this summer, the Whalers acquired center Francesco Vilardi from Sudbury for a draft choice, traded overage goaltender Matt Mahalak to Kingston for a pair of draft choices and dealt Cody Payne to Saginaw for two draft choices. Plymouth also signed 17-year-old defenseman Josh Wesley, who was taken by the Whalers in the fifth round in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and defenseman Mathieu Henderson, a seventh round pick in the 2012 OHL Draft.
Last season, the Whalers made the playoffs for the 22nd consecutive year – a current OHL record – and captured their 12th West Division title over 23 years. Plymouth expects to be in thick of the Western Conference race again in 2013-14.
