Pair of deadline deals bolster Redmen and Chiefs defences

Mike Poulin heads from KW to Brooklin, where he will try to help the
Redmen reach the Mann Cup for the first time since 2000.
(Photo: Tim Prothero)

The Brooklin Redmen and Six Nations Chiefs both made trade deadline deals to strengthen their defences. Brooklin picked up former Major Series Lacrosse MVP Mike Poulin from the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks while the Chiefs grabbed Patrick Merrill from the Brampton Excelsiors.

The Poulin involved several players. Brooklin also received Mike Teeter. Going the other way is a haul made up of Joel Matthews, Mike Melnychenko and Steve Fryer. As part of the trade, Poulin retains the right to go back to KW next summer at the trade deadline. If he chooses to do so, then Fryer will return to the Redmen along with a second-round draft pick in 2015. Merrill goes to the Chiefs in exchange for second- and third-round draft picks in 2017 and other considerations. He hadn't played in Brampton for the past couple of seasons.


Brooklin GM and Head Coach Wayne Colley said it was with a heavy heart that he parted with the talented young players he had to trade to get Poulin. "I didn't know if my two young guys would be able to take the task if we got into a Mann Cup," Colley said. "Playoffs is one thing but a Mann Cup is totally, totally different. To put two young guys in that position is kind of hard."

Colley says that Poulin and Zach Higgins will both get a chance to show they should be the starter come the playoffs. "I was splitting starts with my two goaltenders and I'm going to continue that practice until playoffs and then, here's the ball, keep running with it until you drop it and then somebody else is going to get the opportunity."