Golden Hawks make more moves amidst latest COVID-19 lockdown

Photo provided by team courtesy of OJHL Images.

By James Tubb

BELLEVILLE –In the same week as the NHL returns, the Trenton Golden Hawks are moving on from more players.

The Golden Hawks have traded defenceman Julien Jacob to the Grand Falls Rapids of the Maritime Junior Hockey League and sent fellow d-man Brannon Butler to Grand Prairie Alberta, where he will join the Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

QNet News spoke to Golden Hawks Head coach/GM Peter Goulet who was frustrated with the lack of games for his players.

“We all want to work and the kids need to play,” he said.

“I feel so bad for the kids.”

Not wanting to leave his players waiting for a season that may never come due to the provinces extended COVID-19 lockdown, he approached the 19 and 20 year olds on his team awhile back and asked if they would like to be moved to ensure they could play hockey this season.

“I talked to all of the players and I gave them the choice to be moved,” he said.

A week prior to trading Jacob and Butler, Goulet moved four other players to allow them to play elsewhere.

Captain Griffen Fox and alternate captain Marko Jakovljevic were traded to the Amherst Ramblers of the MHL.

Alternative captain Kyle Robinson, and veteran Stefan Dobrich were moved to the Yarmouth Mariners, also of the MHL.

Wyatt George, also an alternate captain returned home to the Unites States for Christmas and decided to stay and develop with the Walpole Express of the Eastern Hockey League.

https://t.co/rO3KpanCpL pic.twitter.com/WxHAHVWBIP

— Griffen Fox (@griffenfox19) January 3, 2021

Trenton acquired 19-year-old defenceman Johnny Howie from the Storm as a part of the Butler trade.

“Howie had a good year in the BCHL and we look forward to him joining us whenever we can get back on the ice,” Goulet said.

The Golden Hawks have not played since Dec. 18 following a two-game series with the Lindsay Muskies due to Ontario’s current lockdown situation.

Trenton also participated in and won the first ever Hasty P’s Cup in November. They faced off against their fierce rival, the  Wellington Dukes, in the eight game series, that was supposed to act as a tune up for players who had not seen ice since March.

But instead, the Golden Hawks and the OJHL have sat idle waiting for approval from the Ontario government to start up their 2020-21 season.

“We proved that we can play safely and that it can work. It can be done,” said Goulet.

“The government keeps stopping life on us here and it is really getting frustrating.”

Goulet said the team would work hard to refill the shelves with good players to replace those that have moved on, as he remained hopeful on a return to the game this season.

“We are all frustrated with COVID, but let’s work together and get the cases down,” he said.