Townsman Staff
November has been the month of the call-up for the Kootenay Ice, and the team announced yesterday that they are giving yet another young talent a chance to play in the WHL.
El Lieffers, the Ice’s fourth round selection in the 2015 Bantam Draft, was recalled from the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatchewan Midget ‘AAA’ Hockey League on Thursday afternoon.
The 6’4” Saskatoon-born forward has 13 points and 44 penalty minutes in 16 games so far this year in his Midget league.
He also had the opportunity to play in the Telus Cup, the national midget ‘AAA’ hockey championship, last season after the Contacts won the West region cup.
Lieffers has played in six career games with the Ice including the home opener against the Calgary Hitmen earlier this season. In his brief WHL career, he has earned one assist and two penalty minutes.
After his first game with the Ice last November, he had thoroughly impressed the team’s coach, Luke Pierce.
“After his first two shifts, there really wasn’t much to tell him,” Pierce said at the time. “He’s a smart kid. He gets it.
“I was impressed with how he played."
Previously this month, the Ice called up 15-year-old Peyton Krebs to play in three games and just traded for forward Jake Elmer, who was playing Junior ‘A’ with the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League before getting a chance with Kootenay.
Krebs picked up two assists in his three games before returning to the CFR Foothills Chemical Bisons of the Alberta Midget ‘AAA’ Hockey League. Elmer played in his first game on Wednesday and got an assist and scored the game-winning goal in the shootout.
The Ice will no doubt be hoping for similar production from Lieffers, who should add energy to Kootenay’s already youthful group.