Ottawa, ON – Monday was a busy day across the CCHL, marking the league’s trade deadline as teams made last-minute efforts to bolter their rosters ahead of the second half of the season.
In his first season as General Manager of the Jr. Senators, Jamie Mayo swung three moves ahead of the 6 pm deadline, acquiring a pair of forwards and a blueliner for his first-place squad.
“With the CCHL on pause during January, we fell victim to a couple of players electing to head to other leagues in the United States,” said Mayo. “That led us to acquire a pair of CCHL veterans to provide us with some depth as we head into what will be a busy schedule during the next few months.”
The first move saw Mayo acquire Carleton Place Canadians leading scorer and team captain Jacob Code in exchange for Mark MacPhee and Aidan Cooper.
Code, 20, joins OJS after spending four seasons with the Canadians organization and is a veteran of 111 CCHL games. The Elmira native has eclipsed 43 goals and 49 assists across his time in the league and adds a much-needed veteran presence to an already deep forward crop. Code joined CP from the Waterloo Wolves organization in 2018, where he was assigned to their Jr. B affiliate, Carleton Place Jr. Canadians of the then CCHL2. This season, Code has tallied 11 goals and 14 assists in 25 games.
“Everything we heard about Jake Code the player and, more importantly, the person made him our number one target,” added Mayo. “He can bring some offensive skill, always competes hard, and has been an effective penalty killer. In talking to many of his former coaches, each one praised him for his tremendous leadership qualities on and off the ice. He is exactly the type of player that our organization looks for and we are looking forward to seeing him in an OJS sweater.”
In the move, the Jr. Senators moved three-year veteran Mark MacPhee who has recorded 15 points this season and ends his tenure with OJS with 45 points in 104 games. Also in the deal, OJS sent out rookie defenceman Aidan Cooper who has recorded four points in 16 games this season.
The trade marks the first transaction made between OJS and Carleton Place since 2014, where OJS acquired former team captain Jim Pearson in return for a 3rd round pick.
Next, the club traded veteran netminder Felix Schnell to the Cornwall Colts in exchange for a PDF. The 19-year-old joined the organization as a u18 member in 2018, then cracked the Jr. A lineup in 2019. Schnell ends his time with the Jr. Senators with a career 20-6-3 record with a 2.75 GAA.
As the deadline struck, the final move of the day saw Mayo pull off a trade with the Rockland Nationals, acquiring defenceman Isaac Landry and the rights to forward Andrew Aboumossa in exchange for forward Edward Moskowitz, the rights to defenceman Vincent Bastien, and a PDF.
Landry, 20, is in the midst of his third season in the CCHL, in which he’s matched a career-high with 10 points in 28 games this season. The Orleans native was drafted by the Gloucester Rangers in 2017, earning an HEO u18 championship with the Nationals after the relocation in 2018.
Aboumossa, 19, is currently playing U Sports hockey at the University of Ottawa this season, appearing in four games for the Gee-Gees. The Ottawa native was originally a protect selection by OJS in the 2017 HEO u18 draft where he put up 26 points under Steve Malette. After an off-season trade in 2018 to the Nationals, Aboumassa reached the CCHL in which he spent parts of three seasons. In 60 career games in the CCHL, Aboumassa has scored 13 goals and added 18 assists for 31 points.
“Isaac Landry and Andrew Aboumossa are quality junior hockey players that will bring us some experience to our group,” explained Mayo. “Landry played some big minutes with Rockland and can bring an added physical presence to our back end. Aboumossa was a bit of a gamble as he is currently playing in U Sports. However, if U Sports doesn’t return, he indicated he would love to come aboard and finish the season in an OJS uniform.”
Headed the other way includes Edward Moskowitz, who was acquired in a trade with the OJHL’s St. Michael’s Buzzers in the off-season has recorded 15 points in 25 games so far this year. Meanwhile, Vincent Bastien spent the last two seasons with the OJS u18 program and has suited up with the Casselman Vikings of the EOJHL this year.
“The staff is excited at the moves we made yesterday,” expressed Mayo. “We are confident that we were able to add some pieces that will help us compete for the Bogart Cup. We look forward to returning at the end of the month and seeing the boys back on the ice and performing in front of our fans at the Jim Durrell.”
As the Jr. Senators await the current lockdown in Ontario to lift, all CCHL teams are able to return to training as of January 26, with games anticipated to return on January 28. The CCHL will have a full slate of games to reach the 55-game regular season. The league’s full play-off schedule will follow, giving our players a complete season despite this unplanned interruption of play.
The next Jr. Senators scheduled game comes on January 29, as they play host to the Kemptville 73’s.
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