Cameron expects moves before trade deadline on Wednesday

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Cameron expects moves before trade deadline on Wednesday

Malcolm Cameron played professionally for eight teams in four leagues over a period of five seasons.

He switched teams in midseason four times, and once recalled being traded about a week before Christmas.

"My wife wasn't too happy about that," said Cameron, a first-year coach for the Texas Wildcatters who has his own trade deadline looming Wednesday.

Cameron promised after Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Stockton Thunder at Ford Arena that roster moves would be made. He directed anger toward forward Olivier Proulx, whose two penalties in the first period contributed to three power play goals for Stockton, but did not mention Proulx by name.

"You can read the stat sheet," Cameron said after listing Proulx's penalties and being asked if he was talking about Proulx.

Proulx is not the only player with whom Cameron was upset.

"Right now we've got a lot of selfish, self-serving players on this team," said Cameron, whose team trailed South Division-leading Florida by one point before a game Wednesday at Utah. "Or I wouldn't say a lot, but we have some, and it's got to go.

"There's some other things going on in the game - it's a game within a game - and you can see guys serving their own needs."

In theory, the prospect of being traded is something every professional athlete confronts on a daily basis.

"If you go out there thinking you're going to get traded or you're going to go somewhere else, then you're probably not going to be effective," Wildcatters forward Leon Hayward said.

The Wildcatters have made four trades this season, most recently when Luis Tremblay was sent to Trenton on Jan. 24 for Peter Tormey, who opted to retire instead of come to Beaumont.

Cameron said there will be more trades to come.

"We're always trying to make this hockey team the best we can," said Cameron, whose team has 15 games left.

Among players considered to be secure with their spot on the Wildcatters are Hayward and forwards Kevin Baker, Mike Bayrack and Marco Rosa - if and when he returns from Providence of the American Hockey League.

Defensemen Paul Albers and Mike Madill - both of whom played in the ECHL All-Star Game with Baker - are also secure with their roster spots.

Center Brandin Cote has been the team's captain in each of his 50 games, so he's not going anywhere. Nor is goalie Matt Yeats, who played his 18th straight game Wednesday.

Cameron said any player traded from the Wildcatters would be going to one of the poorer teams in the league.

"At this time of year, teams make trades to fill needs," Cameron said.

Cameron recalled being traded in midseason from the Fort Worth to Nashville of the Central Hockey League.

He also jumped leagues, going from Johnstown of the ECHL to Fort Worth of the CHL. That was in the 1995-'96 season, the last in which a player was allowed to jump from one league to another.

"That Johnstown team underachieved, and we were having a bad season," Cameron said. "So what some players did back then when the season wasn't going good was leave for another team in a warmer climate and finish out the season.

"That's what (my wife and I) did."

Kopriva update

Goalie Miroslav Kopriva might return to the Wildcatters as soon as Friday's game at Utah, coach Malcolm Cameron said Wednesday.

Cameron said Minnesota Wild goalie Manny Fernandez was close to returning from a knee injury, which would bump Josh Harding to the Houston Aeros and send Kopriva back to the Wildcatters.

Kopriva and Matt Yeats had shared goalkeeping duties before Kopriva joined the Aeros on Jan. 24. Yeats played in an 18th straight game Wednesday night.

Derek Classen served as the emergency backup goalie for Wednesday's game. Classen had tried out for the Wildcatters before the season.

Grizzlies 5, Wildcatters 3

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - The Texas Wildcatters lost a third straight game in regulation for the first time this season Wednesday.

The 5-3 loss to Utah comes after the Wildcatters dropped two of three games against Stockton at Ford Arena last weekend.

Texas allowed two goals 12 seconds apart and a third goal 67 seconds later, all in the second period, to fall behind 4-1.

Utah scored a short-handed and empty net goal with 31 seconds left to secure it victory.

The loss prevented Texas from moving back atop the South Division standings one night after Florida got into the top spot by beating Augusta.

The Wildcatters have 71 points with 15 games left. Florida has 72 points and Gwinnett has 70.

The top five South Division teams qualify for the playoffs. Texas is 12 points ahead of South Carolina for at least the last playoff spot.

The team's longest losing streak is six games, but that includes two shootout losses.

The Wildcatters face Utah again Friday and Saturday.