The Bonnyville Pontiacs were quite busy at the AJHL trade deadline adding an experienced, behemoth of a goaltender to the mix.
The Bonnyville Pontiacs were quite busy at the AJHL trade deadline adding an experienced, behemoth of a goaltender to the mix.
Troy Trombley, who stands at 6'6", 215 pounds, was acquired from Melville of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in exchange for 19-year-old defenseman Mark Zvonkovic.
The 20-year-old Trombley has a ton of junior hockey experience having played 91 games over the course of two seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Last season he suited up in 49 games for the Saskatoon Blades.
"We had an opportunity to get in a quality goalie who has played 91 games in the Western League in Troy Trombley," said Bonnyville head coach and GM Rick Swan, addressing the move. "He is proven guy that will allow (rookie goaltender) Joey Desrosiers to develop in a proper manner and become our number one goalie next year."
Goaltending was a number one priority for the Pontiacs in the offseason. Swan went out a picked up two top-notch 18-year-old rookie goaltenders in Reid Kilburn and Desrosiers. With both young goalies struggling to find consistency so far this season, Swan felt it was best to bring in some experience.
"Both Desrosiers and Kilburn are going to be elite goaltenders in this league but we felt the pressure of having to have a quality start every single night wasn't the best thing for them at this particular time."
With Trombley coming into the fold, a goalie had to go. In a corresponding move, Kilburn was sent to the Camrose Kodiaks for future considerations.
Trombley didn't have long to get acclimatized to Bonnyville, as the net minder was immediately thrown into the Pontiacs crease, starting both games this past weekend.
After suffering a tough 3-2 to Whitecourt on Saturday night Trombley bounced back on Sunday evening stopping 23 of 24 shots in a 4-1 win.
"I am really excited to be here. I want to finish my junior career on a high note so I am hoping to carry this team and help them out a lot," said Trombley after notching his first win as a member of the Pontiacs on Sunday.
"I'm going to provide a lot of puck stopping. I want to carry the load here, play a lot of minutes and take this team far."
