By Mike Stackhouse /

WEYBURN RED WINGS
The Red Wings stayed relatively idle during the Jan. 10 deadline. However, they did receive hometown forward Tyler Penny back from the Western Hockey League. Penny’s presence provided immediate dividends as he collected four points in his first three games.

The Wings also moved Carter Selinger to the MJHL for depth forward Forrest Dell, who was brought in from Winkler. Selinger ended up with the Swan Valley Stampeders as part of the three-team trade.

Preston Shupe is within reach of a league scoring crown. He enters the final leg of the season battling Notre Dame’s Rylan Schwartz and Humboldt defenceman Brady Wacker.

MELVILLE MILLIONAIRES
The Millionaires used the Jan. 10 trade deadline to shore up goaltending, defence, and their forward units.

However, the Mils lost their first two games after getting Brady Wilyman, Casey Dion, and Cody Hanson.

Wilyman, a former Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League all-star, adds a veteran presence behind Travis Bosch. Dion had 17 points with La Ronge, which would translate into Melville’s top-scoring blueliner.

Hanson was a deadline casualty with the Regina Pats. The Mils are hoping he will develop into a power forward similar to what Levi Lind is a little more than a year removed from his last game as a major junior player.

KINDERSLEY KLIPPERS
The Klippers didn’t make a trade, but did get an impact defenceman in the form of Scott Linnell. Linnell played for two years in Kindersley before stepping aside at the end of last year due to a chronic knee injury. He returned to senior hockey in November and, recently, decided to give Junior A a final shot in his last weeks as a junior-eligible player.

Linnell will provide an obvious emotional lift to the club, but he should also bring some offence and the ability to play big minutes should he prove healthy. That could bode well for Justin Perreaux, who does not have a big physical frame, but is counted on heavily by the team.

YORKTON TERRIERS
Yorkton’s season appears to rest on the shoulders of rookie goalie Devin Peters, but head coach Ed Zawatsky used the Jan. 10 deadline to try and add to his support staff.

Defenceman Justin Giesbrecht was acquired from the Swan Valley Stampeders of the MJHL, and was their second-leading scorer at the time of the switch. He should give Yorkton added options on a powerplay that already features Greg Coburn and Kirk Byczynski on the back end.

Forward Nick Dietrich was added from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, although he has been limited to eight games because of injuries this season. Dietrich is the son of former NHL defenceman Don Dietrich.

ESTEVAN BRUINS
Don’t tell the Bruins they are in fifth place, because their approach has been more like a team in the mix for first. Estevan’s brass, however, feels as though their talent is right up there with the top of the conference and they are going for it this season.

To that end, the club brought in scoring forward Richard Jodoin from the Dauphin Kings and he scored 10 points in his first seven games.

They also got some insurance for starting goalie Tommy Legault in the form of Shayne Barrie, a Regina native, who was cut from the Everett Silver Tips.

NOTRE DAME HOUNDS
The Hounds didn’t mortgage the future, but they didn’t move any of their final-year vets either. There was speculation 18-year-old forward Rylan Schwartz may be in play because he is expected to attend Colorado College in the fall.

The loss of goalie Todd Mathews back to the WHL and Estevan’s continued approach to better themselves for the present hasn’t helped the Hounds’ efforts to get into the playoffs. They will need an extremely hot stretch run just to make sure they are playing in March.