After watching Dylan Tonks rip his team to shreds through the first six games of the PJHL season, Clayton Robinson decided the only way to stop him was to acquire him.
So that’s what he did Friday, pulling off a massive heist in a PJHL trade with Mission.
The Chilliwack Jets hockey boss sent future considerations to the Outlaws in exchange for Tonks and Blake Bryce.
Both players are locals, fulfilling Robinson’s ongoing mission to stock his team with Chilliwack skaters. Both are also excellent players.
At the time of the trade Tonks was leading the PJHL in scoring. The 20-year-old forward has produced six goals and 11 points in six games and immediately becomes Chilliwack’s top offensive option. Trey Fischer (Chilliwack) was the team leader in scoring with seven points in six games.
Bryce, meanwhile, helps address concerns on the back-end, where the Jets have surrendered more than five goals per game (31 in six). In his first full season of junior B action, the 18-year-old blueliner has produced two goals, four points and 30 penalty minutes in five games.
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The new players might have debuted Sunday if not for Dr. Bonnie Henry’s health edict that came down Saturday.
B.C.’s provincial health officer announced that “indoor sports where physically distancing can’t be maintained must be suspended for the two-week period.”
Chilliwack’s scheduled game against the Abbotsford Pilots was postponed and the league has not said whether it will be made up at a later date.
All PJHL games are on hold until Henry’s suspension is lifted.
READ MORE: Mission continues to ground Chilliwack Jets in early-season PJHL action
READ MORE: Chilliwack Jets net first win against Mission City Outlaws
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eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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