Meteors load up
The Fort Erie Meteors added Lawson Sorokan, left, and Jack Ryan before Friday’s trade deadline. Photo: BILL POTRECZ
The Fort Erie Meteors got an early start on trade deadline and in the process strengthened themselves up the middle.
The Meteors added centres Jack Ryan from the Welland Junior Canadians and Lawson Sorokan from the Connecticut Jr. Rangers of the National Collegiate Development Conference before Friday’s deadline for deals.
Meteors general manager/coach Nik Passero feels the duo will provide some much needed depth up front.
“One hundred per cent you need the depth,” he said. “Last year we had 14-15 forwards that played games for us in the playoffs so it’s important to have the depth. That’s something we really haven’t had the first couple of months.
“We’ve been rolling a really tight-knit crew here so to bring in some extra blood is good and I think it gave our team a little jump.”
Ryan, who was acquired in exchange for defenceman Brock Houser and a development fee, leads the Eastern Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League with 24 goals.
“We’ve been looking at Jack for a while,” Passero said. “He is someone we identified as a player that could come in and help and play a style similar to what we’re accustomed to.
“There’s not as much pressure on him to score here because we have a few other guys that can put it in the net, but obviously that’s what he wants to do too. He knows what he’s good at. We’ll look to him in scoring areas and special teams to make it count.”
Ryan, a 20-year-old Peterborough native, asked for a trade from Welland and is thrilled with the move.
“I was pretty open about it with them,” he said. “I was just happy, they (Fort Erie) were making a push. They brought back most of the pieces from last year and that was exciting.”
The Meteors are a solid defensive team and Ryan wants to fit into that mould while also continuing to put the puck in the net.
“They said they want me to score but they also want me to work on the other side of the puck,” Ryan said. “They put me on PK (penalty kill) the first game. They got me in there but they also said they expect me to score goals.”
Ryan is pumped to go the rink with a chance to win every night.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “It was definitely hard (in Welland).”
Sorokan, a 19-year-old Barrie native, is a two-way centre who should slip into the Meteors system with little difficulty.
“I think his offensive game is untapped a little bit and we’re definitely going to look for him to put some points up, but I think his game is very two-way,” Passero said. “Already in the first night I think he showed a lot of a lot of good efforts in the D-zone and face off circle. He is a right-handed centre, something we didn’t have at all, which is going to take a lot of pressure off our other guys.”
Sorokan is relishing the opportunity to play for a contender.
“It’s a great feeling, especially coming from a program where I wasn’t having too much success, win-wise,” he said. “I definitely want to do the best I can to help them win a championship.”
Sorokan is ready to fill whatever role he is put it.
“I think I can make a pretty decent impact. I feel like I can play both sides of the puck and can definitely help anytime, anywhere on the ice,” he said.
Passero paired Ryan and Sorokan on a line in their first game Sunday in Pelham and liked what he saw as the Mets prevailed 8-1.
“Lawson had five or six great chances and so did Jack, so that was pretty good,” Passero said.
The Meteors have won five straight and sit in third spot of the Eastern Conference with a 21-8-2 record and 20 games remaining in the regular season.
“I think it’s different than in years past. In years past, you weren’t really worried about where you’re going to finish because there’s only seven teams,” Passero said. “If you’re good enough, most of your matchups are favourable. This year the eighth seed is a good team. So you have to win your games and make sure that you’re ready to go and you’re peaking at the right time. I think that’s important. We’ve been up and down all year in good ways and I think we’ll be fine.”
The Meteors visit the Ayr Centennials Thursday and are home to Hamilton Saturday.
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