The Guelph Storm has made a couple of roster moves ahead of the second half of the season, which kicks off tonight in Windsor.
Goaltender Dixon Grimes has been released and has signed with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Import defenceman Niko Minkkinen has returned to Finland and will not be rejoining the team this year.
Minkkinen played in 13 games with the Storm this season recording a goal and three assists. He was hampered by a number of injuries, most recently an ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 11.
He was the team's first round pick, 35th overall, in the 2022 CHL Import draft.
Storm coach George Burnett said as it stands right now the team retains his rights and before the import draft there will be discussions internally and with the family and agent of Minkkinen to see if he will return next season.
"He's not ready to play right now and even if healthy it doesn't do any good to have him sitting and not playing," Burnett said. "We still think he's an excellent young prospect."
Minkkinen showed flashes during his brief tenure with the team, but with seven defencemen ahead of him on the depth chart it was unlikely he was going to get the playing time in Guelph he needs to develop.
Grimes played in nine games with the Storm, turning in a 1-4 record, 4.06 goals-against average and 0.843 save percentage.
Burnett said Brayden Gillespie will be with the team for the next 10 days or so as they determine what direction to go with the goaltending. Right now GIllespie is on a player card that permits 10 games with the Storm, and he has played five thus far.
Gillespie could be signed to a full card and spend the rest of the season with Guelph, another backup could be picked up and a trade prior to the Jan. 10 trade deadline is also a possibility.
"We'll have some final answers in the next week or so," Burnett said of the goaltending situation.
