News release
18 April 2006
Elmira, NY The Elmira Jackals announced today that they have acquired the rights of forwards Brad Wingfield and Matt Goody in the UHL Wavier Draft on Tuesday.
The Jackals have acquired the rights to one of the all-time fan favorites in Elmira, forward Brad Wingfield. The Gibsons, British Columbia native played two seasons with the Jackals from 2001-2003 and in 112 games played he is the All-Time Jackals leader in penalty minutes with 1048. Wingfield set a single season UHL record with the Jackals by recording 576 penalty minutes in the 2002-03 season. The 60 230 lbs also holds the UHL record for the Longest Penalty Minute Streak, going to the sin bin in 24 consecutive games during his second year with Elmira. Not just a feared enforcer, Wingfield scored a career high 29 goals and added 16 assists for the Jackals in 02-03. Wingfield spent the last two seasons playing for the Danbury Trashers and he was 3rd in the UHL this season in PIMs with 320 minutes in only 36 games played.
The Jackals also grabbed the rights of arguably the toughest player in the UHL Matt Goody. Goody spent most of the year with Eastern Division rivals the Richmond Riverdogs. In 51 games played Goody recorded a career-high 322 penalty minutes, putting him in 2nd place in the UHL, two minutes ahead of Wingfield. He is currently on his first AHL Call-Up with the Providence Bruins. In 5 games with the P-Bruins, Goody has 1 assist and 21 PIMs. The 62 250 lbs native of Brighton, Ontario was 3rd in the League this year in Majors with 22.
In order to pick up these two players, the Jackals were forced to expose some of their current roster by lifting the protected status. Forward Jason Cassells was removed from Elmiras protected list to make room for Wingfield. Defenseman Mathieu Wathier was sacrificed in order to acquire Goody. Wathier was later picked by Adirondack and is expected to play for the Frostbite in the playoffs this weekend against Muskegon.
With the additions of Wingfield and Goody to the Jackals protected roster, Elmira could have a very physical team on the ice for Season Seven. Collectively between Wingfield, Goody and rookies Chris Mann, Brett Angel and Craig MacDonald the Jackals have five players with over 200 penalty minutes. These five forces to be reckoned with combined for 1,452 penalty minutes this season and 85 major penalties.
In other Waiver Draft moves, the two players on Non-Roster spots, forwards Eddy Lowe and Vince Malts, were left unprotected, along with defenseman Bobby Gates. Lowes rights were picked up by the Flint Generals, while Malts was taken by the Richmond Riverdogs.