Comings, goings, and Euro-hoggings

Labrie, we hardly knew ye: Cue some more anger from Philippe Venne's supporters in Drummondville, as two games and a +1 is all she wrote for Ryan Labrie in a Voltigeurs' uniform. It was announced yesterday that Labrie left the team for the waiver wire on an apparent "mutual agreement." Should he not be claimed, he's headed for Vaudreuil Dorion in the LHJAAAQ. Most people who read that article are probably already adamant that that eighth-rounder in 2013 better be the next Derick Brassard.

(Venne has yet to score a point with his new team, who has gone 2-11-1-1 this season, so that's a little understandable.)

Murray moves up: Jordan Murray has a new role with the Voltigeurs. The fourth-leading scorer on the team with 11 points thus far this season is changing up from rearguard to forward. Not only that, he's headed to the first line.

Having scored 44 goals and allowed 53 against, you might say that the offensive needs of the Volts are pretty clear. M-O Brouillard, Jérôme Verrier and Olivier Archambault have shouldered most of that load. While Murray will skate with Brouillard and Jérémie Malouin (if the latter is ready to play), he is expected to continue occupying the point on the power play.

First and last comment on the CHLPA thing: So that's where Hockeyinsiderr disappeared to!

Got Euros?: In this season's instalment of Phrase-Recycling 101: So it would appear that (Sorensen, Kucherov, Grigorenko) has an injured (foot, shoulder, _____). No problem! We've got two other Euros. - the Remparts.

Good Lord. If this is the plan for the rest of the season, Brandon Shea probably won't be the only one walking out on you. Just trade someone and be done with it. Signed, Everyone.

Early morning alum-sighting tomorrow: Fans of ex-Volts blessed with a Friday off can catch the McGill Redmen in action as part of the 2nd annual "Stay in School" Morning Game that will see them face off against York University at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, at McConnell Arena. Three former members of the President's Cup-winning 2009 squad, Vachon, McKiernan and Brunelle, all had a hand in the Redmen's 3-2 overtime win against Queen's last Friday.

More #voltstrainingcamp things...

For lack of a better blog post title, onwards with the bullet points!

• First preseason outing: great! Fantastic, even. 5-1 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix. M-O Brouillard picked up four points (two of each) and Mr. Fitness (that might stick, forgive me) regularly known as Bryce Milson recorded two goals and an assist. Alexandre Grenier scored the other goal.
• Second preseason outing: the opposite of fantastic. The Phoenix get their revenge, 4-1. The lone goal for Drummondville came from Jérôme Verrier.
• One of the assists from that lone goal: Raman/Roman Hrabarenka/Graborenko. Apparently he has since moved onto better projects. Formerly the defensive cornerstone of the team, and formerly a Tampa Bay training camp attendee, he received an offer from the New Jersey Devils that could allow him to graduate to the pro level sooner than expected. 
• Because of this, the Volts acquired Chicoutimi captain Gabriel Vermette, seeming to finalize both Drummondville and Chicoutimi's overager situations. (Return: a 2014 third rounder.) With the end of trade period tomorrow, Dominic Ricard decided it was better to act fast.
• Philippe Venne was traded for Ryan Labrie, a 19 year old (now former) #theshawi player that has played very little hockey for his age. Jury's out on this one (but at least there's also an eighth-round pick in this deal just in case). He did score twice in the first five games the Cataractes granted him, however. Venne's dad also played for #theshawi back in his day, so clearly no hard feelings there. To mark his "homecoming," the younger Venne even scored two goals and added an assist in his third straight game against the Phoenix, a game that #theshawi won handily by the score of 4-0.
• Another cut to announce: Chad Millett, an 18 year old free agent from Ontario. The rest of the cuts will be named tomorrow.
  
  

Around the league: The Saint John Sea Dogs have only existed for a handful of years yet already have a third jersey, and one that somewhat scares me:

It seems to have turned more shark than dog?

Alumni watch: This weekend, Gabriel Dumont, Frédéric St-Denis and Derick Brassard participated in a three-day Boot Camp benefiting the Quebec Cancer Foundation. No word on who actually won (the semifinals AND final were all held today), but the four squad lists composed completely of hopefully-not-soon-to-be-locked-out-NHLers, for anyone interested, are here.