By Matt Stefano
Another player from BC is joining the Bird nest!
The Soo Thunderbirds have announced on Wednesday that they have acquired forward and Trail, British Columbia native Mitchell Daines from the KIJHL’s Castlegar Rebels in exchange for a player development fee.
”We are happy to welcome Mitchell and his family to the Thunderbirds,” said Soo Thunderbirds assistant coach and general manager Jamie Henderson. “We are adding an excellent young man who represents everything we want to be as a program on and off the ice.”
Daines, who is a 2003-birth-year forward, had 1 goal, 3 assists and 64 penalty minutes in 31 games with the Rebels during the 2021-2022 regular season, before scoring twice and setting up 2 others in 7 games with them during the 2022 postseason.
The Trail, British, Columbia native stands 6’0 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.
“I am beyond excited to be joining the Soo Thunderbirds organization and be part of their winning culture,” Daines said. “Being able to make it to the junior A level has been a longtime goal of mine and I can’t wait to get started. Once I had my conversation with Jamie (Henderson), I knew right away that the Soo would be the right fit for me and my development as they have a great record with moving players on to the next level.”
With the addition of Daines, the Thunderbirds now have a total of two players from British Columbia on their roster heading into the 2022-2023 season.
The other player from British Columbia on the current Soo Thunderbirds roster is returning forward Dharan Cap, who is from North Vancouver, British Columbia.
“It’s going to be quite a change moving from a small town like Trail, BC, but I’m ready for this next step in my life, as I feel the Soo will have a lot to offer for me and my future,” Daines said. “I plan on bringing my hardworking mindset and my dedication to get better everyday on and off the ice with the Thunderbirds. I play a very physical game and love getting in the way of shooting lanes. I’d also like to take this time to thank the Thunderbirds organization for having me be apart of their team this upcoming season.”
