Garrett Sambrook of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings has been reassigned to the Virden Oil Capitals, who own his rights after drafting him fifth overall back in the 2015 MJHL Bantam Draft.
The 17-year-old blueliner has two assists in 13 games with the Wheat Kings this season.
Troy Leslie, head coach and GM of the Oil Caps, has a history with Sambrook dating back to when the 6-foot, 170-pound blueliner from Medora played for him back in his minor hockey days.
“We are excited to have Garrett join us,” Leslie said. “We’ve watched him develop through bantam, the MJHL draft and the start of his junior career in Brandon. We look forward to inserting Garrett into our lineup.”
Jamie Hodson, director of business and hockey operations for the Oil Caps, says having the opportunity to add a player of Sambrook’s calibre is something the club couldn’t pass up.
“It’s an exciting time for our organization to work with a first-class organization like the Wheat Kings,” he said. “He’s a great addition to our backend.”
Hodson says this is a chance for Sambrook is to get more some minutes and get his confidence back to where it needs to be.
“He may be here for two weeks or until end of season,” Hodson said. “But we will work with him and help him improve his game. If he is here for the season, he will be a piece of the puzzle in helping lead this team to our ultimate goal of working towards a championship.”
Sambrook, a puck moving blueliner who plays a defence-first style, says playing in Virden means a lot to him.
“It’s a great organization and there is great potential to succeed in this environment,” he said. “I’m looking to get my game back on track. With the way my season ended last year in Brandon it was tough for me to come back this year and try to jump back to full speed.”
He says the Oil Caps are playing very well and that the club has the makeup of a championship contender and believes he can fine tune his skills while helping the team win.
“I’m excited for my chance to come to a team like the Oil Caps and work to succeed. It is a great opportunity for myself as a player.”