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The Soo Greyhounds are entering training camp this week minus a veteran goaltender.
With the opening of camp set for Tuesday, potential overage goaltender Tucker Tynan will not be among those in camp.
Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis confirmed on Monday afternoon that the 20-year-old netminder has been waived by the team.
“We made the decision that we wanted to give a good opportunity to Charlie Schenkel, Sam Ivanov and then Landon Miller as well,” Raftis said. “We have three capable goaltenders where hopefully they can push each other into those spots and we didn’t feel the need to use an OA spot on a goaltender at this point.”
After being acquired by the Greyhounds in a trade with the Niagara IceDogs last season, Tynan went 17-10-6-1 with a 3.40 goals against average and 0.884 save percentage in 36 games with the Sault.
Asked if he explored a trade for Tynan, Raftis said the veteran goaltender was made available but nothing materialized.
The Greyhounds will kick off camp with four players vying for three overage spots with the club, including holdovers Kalvyn Watson and Keegan McMullen, defenceman Ryan Thompson, who was acquired from the Erie Otters in a trade over the summer, and former Greyhounds defenceman Matthew Halushak.
Halushak was injured to start last season as he recovered from shoulder surgery and wound up finishing the season with the Superior International League’s Thunder Bay North Stars.
“You want to have the three OAs sorted out as soon as you can, but with us it’s not going to be a huge rush,” Raftis said. “It’s also going to be a situation of ‘is there younger players jumping them?’ That’s a situation you play with every year. Good overagers really dictate your room and how you want to play.”
“At the same time, you want guys that are not just taking up space,” Raftis added.