Vancouver Giants add veteran, adding decision at WHL overage cutdown

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The Vancouver Giants’ rebuild is getting revamped.

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General manager and coach Michael Dyck brought in forward Brogan McNeil and defencemen Derek Thurston and Rhys Pederson over the summer to fill the team’s three 20-year-old spots.

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Dyck added a fourth overage on Friday, acquiring winger Cam Parr from the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for a 2027 WHL Draft fifth-round selection and a 2030 fourth rounder.

Saturday is 20-year-old cutdown day in the WHL, and teams need to decide on which three overages they’re moving forward with by 11 p.m.

The 5-foot-9, 187-lb. Parr is a feisty, fiery type, which fits the style that Dyck wants to play. Parr, who’s from La Salle, Man., had six goals, 18 points and 102 penalty minutes in 64 regular season games with Medicine Hat last season.

Vancouver (3-2-1-1) hosts the Seattle Thunderbirds (2-2-0-0) on Saturday (7 p.m, Pulse 107.7) at the Langley Events Centre, coming off a 6-3 win over the Thunderbirds Friday in Kent, Wash.

McNeil scored twice and was named the game’s second star. They were his first two goals of the season. The 6-foot-3, 192-lb. Delta native signed on with Vancouver after playing last season in the QMJHL, splitting time between Shawinigan and Sherbrooke. He started his junior career in the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kings.

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Thurston is also from Delta, and Vancouver landed the 6-foot-1, 195 pounder in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades for a conditional 2027 eight rounder. Dyck named Thurston Vancouver’s team captain for this season last month and Thurston had one goal and four points going into Saturday.

The 6-foot-5, 202-lb. Pederson came to the Giants from the Edmonton Oil Kings in exchange for a 2027 sixth rounder and the Stettler, Alta., product had one goal on the season going into Saturday.

The Parr deal left forwards Josh Evaschesen and Luke Cozens and forward/defenceman Dayton Reschny as Medicine Hat’s three 20-year-olds.

Dyck signed on with Vancouver over the summer after three years as an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies, the AHL farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went to the Marlies after five years as Vancouver’s coach, highlighted by the team making the 2019 league championship series.

The Giants finished last in the West and 21st in the 23-team league overall last season, thanks to a 25-39-2-2 record. GM Hnat Domenichelli stepped down after the season, and the club fired coach Parker Burgess.

@SteveEwen

SEwen@postmedia.com