I know this is his last year and all, but he was their #1C I believe. On a pretty good Tiger team. And they trade him for what? A fourth round pick? Doesnt seem like a lot tbh.
As for Portland, draft shmaft. What do they care about picks? They just mysteriously poach top end talent off other teams year after year, as well as somehow attracting college kids to come to their program. You dont see a lot of other teams doing this to the extent they do it. In fact, you dont see ANY other teams doing it to the extent they are doing it.
I gotta ask why that is? Is there a plausible explanation? Year after year, over and over again? It doesn't feel right. There's something else going on. Theyre buying these kids. They are buying their parents. They are paying off other teams etc. That really is the only reasonable explanation. This has been common knowledge throughout the league for years now, but somehow all they can "officially" come up with proof of is some airline tickets.
Why do you think they came down so hard on Portland for such a seemingly minor infraction? Because they know that's just the tip of the iceberg but they cant "prove" anything else so they throw the book at them for the minor infraction they can prove.
I hadn't seen the Tigers this year, but Koules, while a good player, I don't think fit into the age range they want in Medicine Hat and they have some very promising 1st year players that need the ice time. I don't seen anything fishy with that deal.
The other Portland stuff is definitely fishy, but this deal doesn't strike me as such. They came down hard on more than "air line tickets", I believe paying cell phone bills was also one of the infractions.
They're definitely selling kids and parents on something, I'm not sure if they're buying them though. You'd think that would be easy to prove. Seeing what's happening to them now, I think the picks or lacktherof are starting to matter.
Either way, I don't have a team that I really support in the WHL. I watch the Victoria Royals most, because as an Islander they're the only team I can watch live semi-regularly. I'm just a fan of good hockey. Portland's been providing that for a while now, and I'm not sure how much of that is due to shadiness. Johansen/Nino/Ross didn't seem bought, nor did Rattie/Leipsic/Baertschi or Pouliot/Petan/Bjorkstrand/Rutkowski. There is defintely some shade to that, but the Royals also have tons of American players on their roster and the Giants do too to a lesser extent.
I think there is more collusion/shadiness to the Brandon/Lethbridge deals made the last two seasons. Those IMO effect the balance and competitiveness of the league even more.
