FROM THE ARCHIVES: Ardelan caught off guard

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This article was published 06/01/2024 (725 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This story originally appeared in the Brandon Sun on June 2, 2001.

It was a call Mark Ardelan didn’t want to answer and one Brandon Wheat Kings general manager Kelly McCrimmon didn’t want to make.

McCrimmon informed Ardelan late yesterday afternoon that he had been selected in the expansion draft as the Vancouver Giants stocked up for their inaugural WHL season in 2001-2002.

“It was a surprise,” said Ardelan, from his billet’s home in Brandon last night. “I’m not really happy about going to Vancouver. It’s going to be an exciting, new career there, but I liked it here in Brandon … It’s going to be tough leaving, but that’s the way things go and I’m going to make the best of it in Vancouver.”

The Wheat Kings were allowed to protect 14 players aged 17-20 from their 50-player list for yesterday’s expansion draft. But with as many as 19 veterans eligible to return this fall on a team blessed with young talent, the Wheat Kings knew they would be surrendering a good player.

“I feel exactly like I thought I would feel, very disappointed,” said McCrimmon. “I didn’t know which player we would be losing, but I have known for some time that our player was going to be a player that we would miss …

“No matter how we did it … (Vancouver) could have virtually addressed any need they chose to address with the exposed players on our list.”

In Ardelan, the Giants receive a five-foot-10, 195-pound defenceman who has two years of WHL experience and is entering his 18-year-old season this fall. The native of Avonlea, Sask., had two goals and 16 points in 66 games in 2000-2001 and is expected to play a huge role for the Giants.

“That’s the positive thing about it,” said Ardelan, the Wheat Kings’ second-round pick (33rd overall) in the 1998 WHL bantam draft. “Hopefully I get a lot of ice time out there and be a big part of the team.”

Giants general manager Scott Bonner was thrilled to acquire Ardelan.

“(Brandon) was the last team that we dealt with and it was a 12th-hour deal,” said Bonner. “(McCrimmon) didn’t want to give (Ardelan) up in the worst way, he fought and pinched and scratched to keep him.

“But we think he can play a lot of minutes for us … We watched him a lot because we knew we were getting a good player from Brandon. I thought Brandon had the best group of young defencemen going.”

The Wheat Kings still have six veteran blue-liners eligible to return this fall, including 20- year-old Wade Skolney, 19-year-olds Kevin Harris and Brett Thurston, and 18-year-olds Travis Young, Brett Dickie and Reagan Leslie.

The Giants are the WHL’s 19th franchise and will help balance out the Eastern and Western Conferences. The Giants’ $2 million expansion fee will be shared by the 18 existing teams and the league head office, translating into roughly $100,000 per club

“Expansion has definitely hit our club over the years and yet, I’m excited about Vancouver coming on board,” said McCrimmon, whose previous expansion draft losses have included the likes of David Darguzas and Pete Leboutillier. “I think that they are going to be a good addition to the league. It’s an important market and it really solidifies that Western Division.”

EXPANSION DRAFTEES

• BRANDON: D Mark Ardelan, 18

• CALGARY: G David LeNeveu, 18

• KAMLOOPS: LW Patrick Brandreth, 17

• KELOWNA: D David Selthun, 19

• KOOTENAY: Third-round pick in 2002 draft

• LETHBRIDGE: RW Darren Lynch, 18

• MEDICINE HAT: C Tyson Mulock, 18

• MOOSE JAW: RW T.J. Mulock, 16, D Reed Pettinger, 16

• PORTLAND: RW Nick Marach, 20

• PRINCE ALBERT: C Nick Tarnasky, 17

• PRINCE GEORGE: LW Adam Stefishen, 19

• RED DEER: D Shane Grypiuk, 18

• REGINA: G Donald Choukalos, 20

• SASKATOON: LW Jeff Coulter, 19

• SEATTLE: D Jeff Beatch, 20

• SPOKANE: LW Scott Henkelman, 20

• SWIFT CURRENT: C Paul Deniset, 20

• TRI-CITY: D Andrew DeSousa, 18.