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Roadrunners Trade Hill, Gaustad to Augusta

by Andrew Nordmeier
December 2, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


Just 17 games into their first season, the Phoenix Roadrunners made their first trade in team history. Phoenix shipped defenseman Ed Hill and forward B.J. Gaustad to the Augusta Lynx for forward Jake Riddle and defenseman Shaun Fisher.

In Riddle, Phoenix gets a player who had split time between Portland in the AHL and Augusta. In the ECHL, he appeared in 12 games, racking up a goal and five assists with a -1 rating and 36 penalty minutes. Riddle also saw action in six games with the Pirates in the AHL without registering a point. He was an eighth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2001 and his best year came with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL when he registered 30 goals and 28 assists in 58 games in the 2002-2003 campaign.

Fisher scored three goals tallied five assists in 16 games with the Lynx. Fisher comes off a year in which he set career highs in goals (11), assists (22), and points (33) with Kalamazoo of the United Hockey League.

"Riddle plays with a lot of passion and a lot of guts. Fisher brings stability on defense. is a great guy in the locker room," Phoenix Head Coach Ron Filion said, "The biggest thing about those two is that they care."

The Roadrunners gave up their quarterback on the power play and face-off specialist to swing the deal.

"That deal's going to be pretty much even," Filion said, "I didn't want to trade Gaustad."

Hill, a second round pick of the Nashville Predators in 1999, played 12 games for the Roadrunners and recorded 12 assists 23 penalty minutes. He was third on the team in scoring behind Cory Pecker (loaned to San Antonio of the AHL) and team captain Dean Tiltgen. Of those 12 assists, eight came on the power play and he has the distinction of being the only player in the ECHL with double digit points and no goals. Hill also spent time in the AHL appearing in 92 games with the Lowell Lock Monsters. He recorded a goal and five assists during his time as a Lock Monster.

Gaustad, tied for fourth on the ‘Runners' scoring list with Jason Deskins with 11 points, takes his strong face-off skills to the Lynx. He scored five goals and tallied six assists in his 16 games in Phoenix. He won back-to-back Colonial Cups with the United Hockey League's Muskegon Fury in 2004 and 2005. Last season with the Fury, Gaustad scored 29 goals and 23 assists in 77 games.

"I think we've upgraded our team. Fisher can put up numbers," Filion said, "Pretty much the same numbers as Eddie Hill. Riddle can put up numbers, big numbers."

Augusta's Bob Ferguson, head coach and director of hockey operations was quoted on his team's website about the deal.

"I felt at this time that our most immediate need was to increase offensive production, especially on the power play," Ferguson said, "Hill is an excellent power play defenseman who can quarterback the special teams, while Gaustad is a proven offensive player. They will both help our power play production as well as our overall offensive production."

Hill and Gaustad were part of the first deal in Roadrunners' history and a second may be coming soon. There are no indications of who might be traded or to where but Filion said in the past if the right deal comes along, he'd make the trade. He said he is in the market for another defenseman.



ECHL Stories from December 2, 2005


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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