TRURO - The Truro Bearcats have added what they hope will be a significant piece of a championship puzzle.
The Bearcats acquired veteran defenceman Adam Guy from the Dieppe Commandos in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2014 and future considerations.
"He's a player we've been trying to get for the past year and it's fantastic to have him before the season starts," Bearcats coach and general manager Shawn Evans said. "I'm a little more comfortable with our defence adding him."
Guy, a 20-year-old from Corner Brook, NL., will be in the lineup when the Bearcats take on the Amherst Ramblers in a home-and-home exhibition series this weekend. The teams square off Saturday in Amherst at 7 p.m. before coming to Colchester Legion Stadium Sunday at 7 p.m.
The move was the latest in Evans' bid to build the Bearcats into a contending team this season as hosts of the Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian junior A championship next spring.
Guy, five-foot-11, 170-pounds, scored 10 goals and nine assists in 39 games for the Commandos last season. Although Evans likes Guy's offensive ability, he's even more excited about the blueliner's puck-moving skills.
"I know he's a good puck-moving defenceman and that will help us transition," Evans said. "We want to play with the puck a little more than we have in the past couple years and we need to get it moving from the back and Adam fits right into that. I think he'll fit in very nicely on our back end."
Evans said Guy is an excellent compliment to defencemen like Zach Evans-Renaud, Cal Gloade, David Mosher and Ryan Moore, who play a more stay-at-home style.
Evans said Guy was excited to come to Truro, and likewise, the team is happy to have him.
"The players have respect for his ability and they were excited to find out the news," Evans said. "That's a big part of the equation. And it's nice to know the kid is excited and wants to come play here."
Meanwhile, the Bearcats added another forward to the mix with the signing of 18-year-old Tyler Morrison of Mississauga, Ont.
Morrison was a member of the midget AAA Mississauga Senators last season and played seven games for the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec major junior league.
"We got a good, young, big, solid hockey player that we think has some skill," Evans said of Morrison. "And that's certainly been a shortcoming for us in the last number of seasons and we're hoping kids like him can help us this year and beyond."
Morrison tried out and was released from Baie-Comeau of the Q-league before coming to Truro.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound right-winger will play in the Bearcats preseason games this weekend.
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