Stockton: Friday Update

Every Friday throughout the 2018-19 season, M&G will check in on the Stockton Heat and Kansas City Mavericks.

New head coach Cail MacLean and his Stockton Heat are on the road to face the Bakersfield Condors in their season opener on Friday, and then will have their home opener the next night against the Ontario Reign.

With players still being assigned to the AHL team as recently as 3 days ago, the roster remains largely up in the air.

Newly acquired defencemen Rinat Valiev (immigration) and Matt Taormina (offseason surgery) will not play this weekend. Taormina has been with the team for the past week, and is close to a return, while Valiev needs a visa, as he last played with the Laval Rocket in Canada.

Zach Fischer and Nick Schneider have been assigned to the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL.

Jon Gillies may not dress Friday, as he was one of the later cuts, and so the team is still carrying 3 goalies. He will likely start Saturday, meaning Tyler Parsons will start Friday. Mason McDonald remains on the roster.

MacLean confirmed the top two forward lines, as well as the top d-pair, so the rest of the lineup will be decided come game time.

2018-19 Projected Lineup/Roster:

by Gordie Taylor