Chad Locke.......

[mboyan]

.....had a good game against Drummondville. But, did I hear on the news today that the Abbies have traded for him??

Could this be a sign?

Please discuss

[IslandersHKY]

mboyan said:

.....had a good game against Drummondville. But, did I hear on the news today that the Abbies have traded for him??

Could this be a sign?

Please discuss

I don't believe so as I think it was just to line up getting Locke for next season since it is very likely that he won't be back as an overager.

Especially since I believe that yesterday was the waiver deadline for 19 yr olds who are being released by the team. Chamberland in Bathurst being a prime example. Teams may still be able to send 19 yr olds down after the deadline but I suspect it comes with a penalty so if the Rocket weren't planning on keeping Locke for the season I think they would have sent him down already.


And IF he likes it in Ch'town this is probably the best thing for him. Because he will dominate in Jr A and Ch'town is supposedly building to have a pretty good team next season.

[peifan]

Caps deal Knox, Cooke; Abbies move Chavira
The Guardian

SUMMERSIDE — The Summerside Western Capitals have traded forward Jordan Knox to the Pictou County Weeks Crushers in exchange for two players and a second-round draft pick in 2008.

Danny Morgan and Gerrad Grant come to the Capitals.

The Capitals and the Charlottetown Abbies were both busy making deals late Thursday night.

The 20-year-old Knox, in his fourth season with the Capitals, has 304 points, including 141 goals, in 194 regular-season games in the Maritime Junior ‘A’ Hockey League.

The Crushers are the host team for the 2008 Fred Page Cup tournament.

In another blockbuster trade, the Charlottetown Abbies traded the league's leading scorer, Itan Chavira, to the Yarmouth Mariners in exchange for Jonathan Caul, Phillipe Cote and Chad Locke, a third-round draft choice and future considerations.

The trade was listed on the league's website late Thursday night.

Chavira, 20, had 64 points — 27 goals and 37 assists — in 37 games.

The Abbies also dealt a sixth-round pick to the Pictou County Weeks Crushers for right-winger Timmy Caines.

The Capitals also confirmed they have dealt 20-year-old forward Kory Cooke to the Abbies in exchange for Jon Vloet, a first-round draft choice in 2008 and future considerations

[bois]

well I guess there goes my pipedream of signing Chavira for the rest of the season

also Locke should see an expanded scoring role now.. I think many people will be pleasantly surprised with the results

atta boy Lockey

[North Shore]

bois said:

well I guess there goes my pipedream of signing Chavira for the rest of the season

also Locke should see an expanded scoring role now.. I think many people will be pleasantly surprised with the results

atta boy Lockey

Not sure the dream is dead. I was thinking when I heard this it might be part of a package that the Rocket were involved in that would see Locke sent down to the Abbies someone else, to Yarmouth (would require another Rocket who Yarmouth has rights to), and Chavira being moved up to the Rocket.

Pretty huge conspiracy theory though.

[higgins]

I just don't get it.

I would appreciate it if someone would explain it to me.

The line of Gallant, Locke, and MacLean was producing.

Locke has shown that if given a chance at playing center, he can make things happen.

I was surprise to see him only get the third star...and not the second.

His hard-work pushes the other players to do the same...it is all a competition. If someone is working hard, you got to work harder to get more ice time.

I sometimes wonder how things would be different if Jean did not come in. Jean played him in the wrong position and rewarded him with less ice time. Imagine, if someone like Guy was the coach back then. Locke would probably be the leader of the pack now.

Plus, can you explain to me how this helps his career?
Wouldn’t a trade to St. John’s NL been better for him?
I realize he would not have gotten into the top two lines immediately.
He would have had to break into those lines. I just feel he would have had a better chance than here.

Does it increase his chances of getting an university scholarship?

From what I follow in the threads, his chances as of getting back into the Major Junior Leaque are slim as he will be an overager.
Is this true?

I appreciate any feedback.

Plus, what is the webpage for the Abbies?

[hockeydog]

locke is still with the rocket. he is not going anywhere.

[IslandersHKY]

higgins said:

I just don't get it.

I would appreciate it if someone would explain it to me.

The line of Gallant, Locke, and MacLean was producing.

Locke has shown that if given a chance at playing center, he can make things happen.

I was surprise to see him only get the third star...and not the second.

His hard-work pushes the other players to do the same...it is all a competition. If someone is working hard, you got to work harder to get more ice time.

I sometimes wonder how things would be different if Jean did not come in. Jean played him in the wrong position and rewarded him with less ice time. Imagine, if someone like Guy was the coach back then. Locke would probably be the leader of the pack now.

Plus, can you explain to me how this helps his career?
Wouldn’t a trade to St. John’s NL been better for him?
I realize he would not have gotten into the top two lines immediately.
He would have had to break into those lines. I just feel he would have had a better chance than here.

Does it increase his chances of getting an university scholarship?

From what I follow in the threads, his chances as of getting back into the Major Junior Leaque are slim as he will be an overager.
Is this true?

I appreciate any feedback.

Plus, what is the webpage for the Abbies?

Welcome to the baord higgins and you bring up some good questions which I will try to answer although I stress it is merely my opinion and especially with Locke there is a wide range of different ones out there.


With respect to a lot of our players: Lund, Dubuc, Levesque, Lachaine, Haddad, etc I wish a great coach like Chouinard would have been there to better manage their development.

And I strongly believe that Locke and his abilities were mismanaged. Having said that IMO Locke was given plenty of opportunity to prove himself. And like Lachaine is doing now if Locke was good enough despite Jean he still could have established himself moreso.

I was also high on Locke and the last 2 yrs were hoping that he would break out with the potential that many of us saw. Locke has great skill but unfortuntely I think Locke's biggest issue was his effort/desire in comparision to other players. It was a very big issue last season at the start of the year and even this season I get the impression that he loves hockey but hasn't made the same level of commitment that some have which has helped them excel.

I heard that in their plans to focus on developing the younger players they made an effort to trade Locke but not even St. John's were interested. Meaning that for the rest of the season the Rocket will have to try and find a balance between Locke and the younger CoonCome/DesRoches who may not be quite as good right now but they are 2 yrs younger.


As for next season it is extremely unlikely for Locke to play in the Q as each team is only allowed 3 overage spots and after 3 yrs in the league Locke hasn't established himself as to occupy one of those spots. The fact that no teams were interested in him this trade period as an example. The second example being the trade which involved his Jr A rights as Ch'town plans for next season.

As for that trade I personally see it as good for his hockey career because with Locke's skill he should be a top offensive player in Jr A. But Yarmouth is loaded this year and going for it which means they aren't likely to have much of a team next season. Whereas Ch'Town should be better next season and want Locke as one of their overagers which looks like a good situation for him. Now I don't know Locke and maybe he doesn't want to live here next season or play Jr A but if not he can always play Jr B or maybe focus on University next season. So it is good that he has options.


As for the comments about production on the third line I think it is great that him-Gallant-MacLean seemed to really click last night and for whatever reason Locke has picked it up in the last few games. Which could be a situation of wanting to move to another team and then finding out he can't go anywhere else. Either way I think that is great. But what is going to complicant things is that when Touisgnant returns one of the top 6 forwards drops down to the 3rd line and foces a decision on what to do. Which likely means creating a balance of skill and ice time between the 3rd/4th lines. And also the question of how to balance CoonComes/DesRoches developement with Locke's ice time.

If Locke wants to continue playing he will have to continuing producing.

[knight]

The reason that i can see that keeps him from moving up the dept chart is his not consistant when he does get a chance. Great game from him last night,hopfully he keeps it up.

[higgins]

Thank you.

Your comments filled in alot of holes in the blog.

I agree that there has to be movement at the top....the younger kids have to get their chance.


I am living in the US and have appreciated the updates on the blog.
I have been a fan of Locke since he played senior high school hockey when he was still in junior high.

Does this trade of rights mean that Locke is going down to Jr A now?
I was planning on flying into Halifax to see him play in March and head out to the Island to catch a game (although it worries me being stuck on the Island because the bridge is close and I miss my flight back).

I found the Abbies website.

[higgins]

Sorry...I missed the comments about him still being a rocket.

But can he be sent down without any notice?
I am going to try to get to see him play sooner.

[bois]

Locke won't be an Abbie this year

I wouldn't necessarily bank on him not being able to play in the Q next year either

He was badly mismanaged but must share at least some of the blame by having a poor camp last year when he was looked at as a possible future star and once he got in the doghouse there seemed no way out

To his credit he eventually accepted his lesser role and became a fourth line banger..

His recent stretch of play has been his finest since the early days after his trade from Victo when he played with Slava

All the props in the world for the emergence of Lachaine this year.. but I really don't think Locke ever got the same opportunities as Matty did.. and I believe if he did he'd be a PPG player in the Q right now

[countryboy]

Recall that Locke suffered a concussion toward the end of his 17 y/o season.

He didn't dominate in the Telus Cup like we expected he would, then his 18 y/o season was what most would call a disappointment.

I'm not saying he's damaged goods, but recovery from bad concussions seems to be taking longer that it used to. Look at the play of Jarret Stoll in Edmonton this season after being concussed severely last year.

cb

[p19peteg]

countryboy said:

Recall that Locke suffered a concussion toward the end of his 17 y/o season.

He didn't dominate in the Telus Cup like we expected he would, then his 18 y/o season was what most would call a disappointment.

I'm not saying he's damaged goods, but recovery from bad concussions seems to be taking longer that it used to. Look at the play of Jarret Stoll in Edmonton this season after being concussed severely last year.

cb

I agree and didn't he have another injury in his second year as well. I can't remember if it was his wrist or shoulder but I am pretty sure he was out for a while with it as well. Still think that he can be a good player for us, remember it took laliberte awhile to get his form after his tough injury. Not that locke is of the caliber of laliberte but he needs time to get in game shape and with the amount of ice time he was getting he couldn't get rolling.
I'm hoping with the extra ice time that these trades opened up that he finds a groove and carry it into the playoffs and next year.

[topcon81]

I dont think that you will see chad playing jr a next year....if the rocket feel he is not in their plans next year and no other team take him at draft time , i think he will come home and play senior ..... when things didnt work out in his first year he came home and played midget aaa until the rocket picked him up , and i would expect the same thing next year , what is the sense of him playing a year in jr a ?