Maroons roster continues to get an overhaul
The Chatham Maroons roster continues to be overhauled.
Here’s an update on how the roster is looking in mid-July, with most of the updates courtesy of the Maroons’ social media pages.
Out:
Forward Rorey Elson has signed with the Estevan Bruins of the SJHL. Elson, a Chatham native, was a fan favourite due to his hard work and dedication. Elson played the last two years with the Maroons and put up 31 points in 50 games.
Colton Henderson was traded to the Sutherland Cup winning Listowel Cyclones. Henderson will be attending university in the Waterloo region this fall.
Defenceman Tyler McGuire is expected to play for the Leamington Flyers this season. McGuire will be a big loss for the Maroons. Not only does he have good size, but he also moves the puck well as a defenceman. Big defenceman who move the puck well don’t grow on trees. McGuire was a sixth-round draft choice of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit in 2022 and has a shot to crack thier roster next month. He doesn’t turn 18 until September.
Defenceman Owen Kalp was traded to the St. Mary’s Lincolns. Kalp will be missed, as he was a steady defender who has played in over 100 games over the past two years with the Maroons.
The six-foot, 185-pound Chatham native had four goals and 16 assists in 45 games this past season.
He has improved in leaps and bounds over the last two years. The Lincolns are getting a solid defender.
David Brown and Brenden McKay were traded to the London Nationals. Brown, McKay and Kalp are all attending Western University in the fall.
Brown, a Blenheim native and Saginaw Spirit draft pick, has played the past three years with the Maroons, and has put up 141 points in 112 games. With London he could possibly make a run for the league scoring title.
McKay, a Chatham native, has played for the Maroons for the past two years, and similar to Kalp has developed into a steady defenceman. His best hockey is ahead of him.
Forwards Josh Cleary and Braeden Burke both signed with the Canmore Eagles in the AJHL. Both were among the top point-getters for the Maroons last season.
Jacob Cloutier put up 31 points in 29 games last year for the Maroons. A dynamic forward, Cloutier should crack the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit’s lineup this season. As a rookie he played in four games with the Memorial Cup champions last year.
In:
The Maroons have signed 17-year-old rookie Tyler Pais, who played last season with the Elgin-Middlesex U18 AAA Canucks. Pais’ older sister Emma plays hockey with the Colgate University women’s team and has played internationaly with the Team Canada U18 team.
A recent second round draft pick of the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL U18 draft, the Maroons signed Great North U18 League scoring champion and most valuable player Ian Lachance from the Timmins Majors. Lachance had 26 goals and 48 assists for 74 points in 35 games last season. He also had six points in six games as a call-up with his hometown Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The Maroons picked up Chatham natives Cameron and Colton Graham and defenceman Ethan Waddick from the Sarnia Legionnaires.
Cameron Graham is a big pick-up—literally. At six-foot-three and 220 lbs, he’s a big forward who can score. He began his GOJHL career with the Maroons in 2021-22, putting up 29 points in 40 games. In the Maroons’ run to the Sutherland Cup, Graham was a force, putting up 17 points in 22 games. Last year with Sarnia, Graham was their third-leading scorer, with 39 points in 49 games.
Colton Graham, who is a year younger than his brother Cameron, has played the past two years with Sarnia, is a player similar to his brother.
The Graham brothers like to eat their vegetables. Colton is a big winger at six-foot-three and 230 lbs.
Ethan Waddick will be able to pick up big minutes on the Maroons’ blueline. He played Junior C hockey in Dresden and Blenheim prior to playing nine games with the Maroons in 2022-23. Waddick had 21 points last season in 47 games with Sarnia.
The Maroons have picked up the rights to Guelph native Michael Fischer. Fischer, a defencman, has played in over 120 GOJHL games with London, Listowel and Cambridge.
The Maroons also picked up former London Nationals forward Atley Rogers. The Exeter native played in 44 games with the Nationals last season, his first season in the league. He notched 13 goals and 20 points.
Defencmen Blain Bacik and Jaxen Fortier-Smith are both expected back. Both are veterans and both logged major minutes for Chatham last year.
Bacik carried the Maroons on his back at times last year and was named a league all-star and the league’s top defencman. Fortier-Smith was often paired with Bacik. The Windsor native is big and skates well. He has played in over 100 GOJHL games.