The roster cull continued Tuesday for the Kootenay Ice as 18-year-old defenceman Dylan Overdyk was re-assigned to a team and league to be determined.
After making a trio of deals Sunday and Monday, president and general manager Jeff Chynoweth said he had too many players, 24 after Monday’s trade of defenceman Bryan Allbee to the Seattle Thunderbirds, and was ready to do everything to get down to 22 players by the WHL trade deadline Sunday at 12 p.m.
The assignment of Overdyk gets the Ice down to 23 players, including two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 14 forwards.
“In an ideal world, it would be 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goalies,” Chynoweth said Monday. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t do something different.”
For Overdyk, a former second-round pick (32nd overall) of the Ice at the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, he just didn’t seem to find his place within the top-six blueliners in Cranbrook.
The acquisition of 17-year-old defenceman Ryan Pouliot certainly did not help Overdyk’s fate. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Pouliot came to the Ice via the trading of Luke Philp to the Red Deer Rebels.
In and out of the lineup over the course of the past two seasons, Overdyk suited up for 65 games with the Ice, registering seven assists and 23 penalty minutes.
In 33 games this season, the native of St. Albert, Alta., posted four assists.
The Kootenay Ice are back in action Friday when they welcome the Regina Pats to Western Financial Place at 7 p.m.