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Name: Taylor Pernerowski

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 179 lbs

Age: 17

(DOB): Jun 5, 1991

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Hometown: Whitby

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Miller traded to Bearcats

By: Mitch Calvert
www.fftimes.com

In the 11th hour prior to the Dec. 1 trade deadline, the Port Hope Predators finally struck a deal, sending Fort Frances native Tyler Miller to the Thunder Bay Bearcats for Chad Richard and future considerations for this season, along with two players to be named later for next season and money.

The deal is tentative because clauses still have to be authorized by the SIJHL—and both Miller and Richard have to agree to report to their new teams.

“Are we disappointed at the end of the day? No,” Fort Frances Jr. Sabres’ head coach Wayne Strachan remarked. “We know we have a good squad here and we didn’t want to make a move just to make one.

“We know we have to add some more players to get better, but we also know with our roster right now we have good camaraderie and a good balance of players to compete in the league,” he added.

Strachan did admit disappointment over the fact he and Port Hope GM Tim Clayden couldn’t come to an agreement.

“We would have liked to add Tyler Miller, we [had] bid on him for three weeks. He is an exceptional player,” Strachan said.

“All in all, I believe we were lead astray the entire time,” he charged. “One day we would be close in the deal, [then] the next [day] the asking price was astronomical.”

The good news is the Sabres have until a Jan. 10 deadline to continue to work the phone lines in hopes of adding some pieces to complete the puzzle. The squad has proven to be competitive with its current lineup, but observers may believe they still could add a player or two to put them over the top.

“We had conversations with many teams and the right players didn’t stick out to us,” Strachan said of other trade discussions leading into the initial Dec. 1 deadline.

“Could we [have] added just to add, yes, but in the end, would it have made us better? I don’t think so,” he stressed.

“We have five cards to add players before Jan. 10,” Strachan added. “We will be around in the end and give it all we got to be in the league championship, and prove to people we are a good hockey team.”

Clayden said making the move was in the best interests of both his team and Miller, noting the trade discussions had dragged on long enough.

“His aunt . . . has always pushed the Bearcats very hard and Tyler is very close to his aunt,” Clayden explained.

“And unfortunately, the Sabres’ owner was not prepared to go the distance for Tyler,” he noted. “[But] in fairness to the Sabres, we wanted [Mitch] Cain and [Rod] Bouchard, and I totally understand why they were not prepared to give up those kids.

“I hope that if Tyler [reports to] the Bearcats, he chooses them because of the university [for next season] and not for monetary reasons,” Clayden added.
Strachan thought the deal had taken a turn in the Sabres’ favour on Sunday, but things changed over the 24 hours leading into the Dec. 1 deadline.

“On Sunday I was told we were getting Tyler, maybe not by the Dec. 1 deadline but would by Christmas,” Strachan noted.

“We were going to work together to get him to Fort because that is what Tyler wanted, and Tim felt that was the right thing to do.

“The Predators were going to charge the Bearcats with tampering,” Strachan added. “A member of our staff received a call from the Miller family assuring [us] that they were not interfering in the trade process after last [Wednesday’s] paper write-up. [But] I have e-mails on my computer stating otherwise between Tyler’s aunt and the Bearcats.

“It’s too bad that we didn’t have the resources that the Bearcats had to buy [their] players.”

When reached by phone Monday in Port Hope, Miller said his future still was somewhat unclear but that he was flying into Thunder Bay yesterday regardless of the trade’s outcome.

“None of it’s in my hands,” he said. “It’s in the hands of the GMs in Thunder Bay, Fort Frances, and whatever my GM here wants.”

Miller could not be reached for further comment prior to press time yesterday.

Port Hope Junior Hockey
Where are They Now?

Ben Finney