Falcons upgrade at deadline (updated with additional transactions)

The St. Catharines Falcons moved goaltender Josh Johnson to the Ayr Centennials at the trade deadline Tuesday. Photo by: BILL POTRECZ.

The St. Catharines Falcons retooled their back end at the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League trade deadline Tuesday, adding a new goaltender and bringing back a former defenceman.

The Falcons picked up netminder Aiden Barrie from the London Nationals of the Western Conference while shipping goalie Josh Johnson to the Ayr Centennials of the Midwestern Conference. 

“The thought process was in our opinion Josh has done a wonderful job but I was able to secure an 03 goalie which gives me the opportunity to add a couple of 20-year-olds because Josh was a 20-year-old,” Falcons general manager Frank Girhiny said. “Ayr is great organization, a top four team in that conference and it’s closer to that rink for Josh who lives in Waterdown.”

Johnson had a 16-0-2-0 record, a 2.27 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 20 games for the Falcons this season. He was the back-up to Andrew MacLean on last year’s Sutherland Cup championship team.

Barrie, 19, had a 3.38 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 25 games for the Western Conference-leading Nationals this season. 

The London native also played last season for the Nats as well as getting into a pair of games at the Ontario Hockey League level with the London Knights.

“This goalie has been the No. 1 goalie in London for the last two years,” Girhiny said. “He’s a real good goaltender.”

The Falcons also added rearguard Carter Geoffroy from the Greater Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Greater Hockey League.

Geoffroy, a 20-year-old St. Catharines native, played for the Falcons in 2019/20 before moving to the NOJHL the last three years. With the Cubs, Geoffroy was an assistant captain and collected a goal and eight points in 30 games this season.

“He’s had a really good couple of years in Sudbury,” Girhiny said. “He’s a 20-year-old who wanted to come back home. He’s a right-shot defenceman who shoots the puck well and provides a lot of grit and high character.”

The Falcons later Tuesday added defenceman Joshua Singh from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and released defenceman Brydan Gibbs who played three games after being picked up from the Pelham Panthers.

Singh, a 20-year-old Edmonton native, played 20 games last season for the Cobourg Cougars the Ontario Junior Hockey League picking up five assists.

“He played for (Erie assistant coach) Wes Wolfe last year,” Girhiny said. “Wes told us about him and he’s a real good teammate and brings a good attitude to the team.

“He’s strong defensively and makes a good first pass and can play on the second unit power play. Exactly what we were looking for.”

Girhiny said he checked most of the boxes on his trade deadline list.

“We’re going to score goals but we want to keep pucks out,” he said. “I like where we are.

“It helps to enhance our team for a championship run.”

To make room for Singh on the roster, the Falcons dealt defenceman Willem Posthumous to the Strathroy.

In other deals, the Fort Erie Meteors added forward Liam Loftus (6-11-17) from the Thorold Blackhawks and sent Jeremiah Rausch (2-7-9) to the Pelham Panthers. 

The Blackhawks did most of their heavy lifting last week adding winger Adrian Diodati from the Canadian Central Hockey League, forward Roberto Polillo and defenceman Carson Trevisani.

Hawks head coach/general manager Scott Barnes did make two moves Tuesday, shipping forward Anthony Dicarmine (1-2-3) to Welland and adding defenceman Michael Tapley (1-5-6) from the Caledonia Corvairs.

The Corvairs upgraded in goal with the addition of Keegan Jackson from the Pelham Panthers in exchange for forward Brody Scott (0-1-1). Pelham also picked up forward Jack Lowry (4-3-7) from the Hamilton Kilty B’s.

The Kilty B’s loaded up before Tuesday adding defencemen Peter Dunning and Carson Lloyd and forward Torrin Hession last week. 

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