The Delta Islanders took a step towards clearing up their goaltender situation for the coming 2017 B.C. Junior "A" Lacrosse League season by pulling the trigger on a trade with the Langley Thunder.
The club acquired Roman Rose for a first round pick in the 2019 BCJALL Midget Draft.
It marked the second time in less than a year Delta had dealt for Rose after the league voided a trade made with Port Coquitlam last summer - ruling his playing rights actually belonged to Langley. Rose spent a number of weeks practising with the Islanders before his status was finally cleared up.
He is a former Team B.C. goalie who was named Tournament MVP of the 2012 Bantam A1 provincial championships after backstopping Langley to the gold medal. Ironically, that team was coached by Tom Johnson who last week was named head coach of the Intermediate "A" Islanders.
Rose is the Islanders' only junior age goalie after losing Ryland Hood and Matt Keith to graduation. He has all three seasons of eligibility remaining.
The other roster spot is expected to go to an underage netminder. Second-year Intermediates Brody Harris and Justin Smith are in the running, along with Jarvis Dashkewytch who back-stopped Delta to the Midget A1 provincial title last year.
Islanders general manager Greg Rennie says the club will be busy re-stocking midget draft picks as the season unfolds but a first-rounder for Rose was just too good of deal to pass up on.
"We will definitely be recouping that pick, but a lot of teams were after him and were surprised that's all we had to give up to get him," he said. "Nothing is guaranteed but we expect him to be one of our guys. It's up to (head coach) Kyle (Goundrey) how the workload will be distributed."
The Islanders have lost plenty of firepower to graduation after last year's championship run but are hoping to have an impact player back in the fold.
The club is expecting 2015 rookie-of-the-year Tre LeClaire to continue his box career in Delta at the conclusion of his freshman season at Ohio State University.
LeClaire left the Islanders in early July to play for Canada at the U19 World Field Lacrosse Championships. The 18-year-old opted not to return to Delta, but rather focus on his departure to Columbus for his school year at Ohio State.
"We had a good talk with his family and Tre wants to still be an Islander. "Every indication is he will be playing for us this coming season," said Rennie.
Meanwhile, the hiring of Johnson to run the Intermediate "A" program brings back one of the top players to graduate from the organization.
The 31-year-old North Delta native was the franchise's firstever league all-star and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WLA Draft. Johnson went on to play in the National Lacrosse League as well.
He takes on an Intermediate team that is loaded with young talent and should contend for a provincial title over the next couple of years.
"It depends on how many end up playing in junior 'A' but they have a good chance to be a top three team this coming season," said Islanders assistant GM Ross Frehlick. "Tom has some good (coaching) success in the Langley organization and this is an opportunity for him to take the next step up."
Jacob Doucet, another player with NLL experience, will serve as Johnson's defensive assistant.
