Fourth season as a Griffin…Third year pro…Signed to a three-year entry-level contract by Detroit, 10/1/08…Assigned to Edmonton (WHL) by Detroit, 10/1/08...Reassigned from Edmonton (WHL) by Detroit, 3/31/09…Assigned to Edmonton (WHL) by Detroit, 9/14/09...Traded to Brandon by Edmonton (WHL) for Klarc Wilson, 12/30/09…Assigned by Detroit, 9/30/10…Recalled by Detroit, 4/11/11…Assigned by Detroit, 4/16/11...Assigned by Detroit, 9/26/11...Recalled by Detroit, 10/1/11...Assigned by Detroit, 10/2/11…Assigned by Detroit, 9/14/12...Reassigned to ECHL Toledo by Detroit, 12/27/12...Reassigned from Toledo by Detroit, 12/30/12.
2011-12: Bested his AHL rookie season numbers in goals (11), assists (10), points (21) and penalty minutes (33) in 64 contests with the Griffins…Ranked among team leaders with 11 goals (T10th), one shorthanded goal (T2nd), two shorthanded points (T2nd) and a 0.102 shooting percentage (9th)…Recorded a career-high three points (2-1—3), 12/28/11 at Lake Erie, in a stretch that saw him record six points (3-3—6) in five contests, 12/16/11-12/30/11…Matched his career best with two late-season three-game point streaks, notching three points (2-1—3) in three games from 3/30/12-4/1/12 and recording three assists from 4/13/12-4/15/12.
2010-11: Served as a “black ace” with Detroit during round one of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs…Notched 13 points (8-5—13) in 67 games during first full professional season with Grand Rapids…Scored his first two professional goals in his seventh game, 10/24/10 at Toronto…Recorded a second two-point game (1-1—2) and earned First Star honors, 3/13/11 at San Antonio…Registered a season-best two-game point streak, 2/4/11-2/5/11.
2009-10: Helped host Brandon reach the 2010 Memorial Cup Finals, where it lost to Windsor…Led the Wheat Kings to the WHL Eastern Conference finals and finished among the team’s playoff leaders with five goals (4th), seven assists (T6th), 12 points (T4th) and a plus-4 rating (T3rd)…Began his final WHL season with Edmonton, finishing among the team’s leaders with 16 goals (4th), 15 assists (7th), 31 points (5th), 60 penalty minutes (T6th) and a plus-4 rating (T1st) despite appearing in just 39 games…Was traded to Brandon mid-season, tallying 25 points (7-18—25) and 35 PIM in 33 contests…Set personal bests with a combined 23 goals, 56 points, 95 PIM and 72 games played (tied).
2008-09: Made his Griffins debut, 4/3/09 at Hamilton, and appeared in two games for Grand Rapids upon the conclusion of his WHL season…Logged 70 games with Edmonton and ranked among team leaders with 19 goals (T3rd), a career-high 36 assists (T2nd), 55 points (T3rd) and 80 PIM (4th)…Tied for the team lead with two points (1-1—2) in four playoff contests with the Oil Kings.
2007-08: Set a personal high by playing in 72 games for Edmonton during his rookie WHL campaign, ranking among the team’s leaders with 15 goals (T4th), 16 assists (T6th) and 31 points (T5th).
Personal: Lives in Regina, Saskatchewan…Has one sister…Best friend in hockey is Jeff Lee…Greatest hockey memory is playing in the Memorial Cup final in 2010…Began playing hockey at the age of four…Hockey nicknames are Rex and Rads…Hockey idol as a youth was Doug Gilmour…Chose his jersey number because it’s his mother’s favorite number…Greatest influence on his hockey career is his father, his mentor and coach…Plans to stay involved in hockey after his playing career…First job was as a laborer at a lumberyard…Greatest personal obstacle he’s overcome is going undrafted…Proudest achievement is signing with the Red Wings as a free agent in 2008…Most exciting thing he’s done is attend a hockey camp in Sweden in 2009…If he could trade occupations for one day, he would be a country musician…Played football, lacrosse and baseball growing up…Once met Reba McIntyre…Favorite foods are steak and hummus…Favorite music artists are the Dave Matthews Band and the Goo Goo Dolls…Favorite movie is
The Shawshank Redemption…Favorite TV shows are
Breaking Bad and
Dexter…Favorite website is tsn.ca…Favorite book is
The Shack by William P. Young…Favorite vacation spot is Kelowna, British Columbia…Roots for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders…Enjoys watching football, playing guitar and playing NHL and Call of Duty video games.
