Sports

Don't fall in love with Aces roster because it's going to change

With their season opener two days away, the Alaska Aces on Wednesday released three players, swung a deal to acquire former UAA defenseman Quinn Sproule and submitted their season-opening roster to the ECHL.

A heads-up about that roster of 21 players: Don't fall in love with it, because it is likely to change significantly Thursday.

For example, Sproule wasn't on the roster, which teams had to submit to the league by 11 a.m. ADT Wednesday. Ditto for forward Jason Gregoire and defenseman Colton Jobke, who were assigned to the Aces from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. But count on all three being in the lineup in Friday night's opener at Sullivan Arena against the Ontario Reign.

Also, defensemen Dustin Molle and Brad Gorham were released from their professional tryout agreements. That's paperwork that is likely to be replaced Thursday by paperwork involving standard pro contracts.

The Aces did shed goaltender Aaron Crandall, who played briefly with them last season.

And they gained Sproule, a rookie, in a trade with Idaho, sending the Steelheads the rights to winger Alex Belzile, who helped them to the franchise's third Kelly Cup in June.

Sproule flew from Boise to Anchorage on Wednesday and is scheduled to practice with the Aces on Thursday. The Steelheads said Belzile practiced with them Wednesday.

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Idaho media relations director Will Hoenike said Wednesday's trade marked the first player-for-player deal between the Steelheads and Aces, even dating back to the West Coast Hockey League days in the 1990s. The only other deal between the teams came in 2007, when the Aces acquired winger Justin Johnson of Anchorage -- he's part of the club this season -- for future considerations.

Trading within the division or conference -- the Aces and Steelheads both play in the Pacific Division, part of the Western Conference -- is unusual.

"No one ever wants to do that,'' said Aces coach Rob Murray. "You always prefer to trade a guy to the East, where you never see him again.

"(Belzile) didn't want to come back. The option I had was to get value for him. I think we've got a situation where we're trying to upgrade (on defense) and I think Quinn is an upgrade.''

Sproule, who played one exhibition game for Idaho and was plus-1, said he figured Idaho coach Brad Ralph might make a move after several players were assigned to the club from the AHL's Texas Stars. He said he was excited to return to what has been his home the last four seasons with the Seawolves.

"When (Ralph) said Alaska, there was for sure a sigh of relief,'' Sproule said by cellphone from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Reach reporter Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com and check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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