Photo courtesy of Target Photography

By Scott Roblin

New Addition

Bandits make deal for Bonnyville Pontiacs forward Thomas

Aug 10, 2019 | 1:30 PM

BROOKS, AB – One of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s breakout players from the 2018-19 season is now calling Brooks home.

The Brooks Bandits confirmed on Saturday that they had acquired forward Trey Thomas from the Bonnyville Pontiacs in exchange for future considerations.

Playing his first season in the AJHL after being brought over from the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Thomas scored at almost a point-per-game clip with 18 goals and 45 points in 48 games with the Pontiacs.

He finished fifth in team scoring and also had one assist in seven playoff games for Bonnyville.

In 100 career junior ‘A’ games between the Pontiacs and Silverbacks, the 19-year-old Thomas as netted 26 goals and 66 points.

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Thomas was also a member of the 2016-17 Cariboo AAA Cougars, who won a BC Hockey Major/Minor Midget League title and a sixth place finish at the 2017 Telus Cup national championship.

In a statement, Bandits head coach and GM Ryan Papaioannou said Thomas will help ease the burden of some of the team’s top players moving on to the college ranks.

“We have been looking for an experienced forward with proven offensive abilities, and Trey was exactly that last season,” said Papaioannou. “With so many of our players graduating to the NCAA, there are key roles to fill, and Trey will have every opportunity to become a Division I player here in Brooks.”

The Bandits will hit the ice for the first time since winning the National Junior ‘A’ Championship on August 26, opening the 2019-20 AJHL pre-season at home against the Okotoks Oilers.