Avs ’Brew up familiar face

WASILLA — Braden Kinnebrew is headed back to Alaska.

After trading Kinnebrew to Wichita Falls earlier this season, the Alaska Avalanche have reacquired the defenseman, Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said on Saturday.

The deal, which will cost the Avs only a 2009 tender, was completed just before the North American Hockey League trade deadline on Friday.

“He really wanted to be back here,” Boitz said of the big blueliner. “And Wichita Falls wanted to go in a different direction.”

Alaska sent the former South Anchorage High School standout south to Wichita Falls, Texas, in mid-December in a deal orchestrated to help boost the team’s depth. The Avs received forward Thomas Erlacher and defenseman Tyler Krueger in the deal for Kinnebrew, and both have seen a significant amount of ice time since joining the Avalanche.

Erlacher has eight points (2-6-8) in 11 games with Alaska, while Krueger has chipped in an assist in eight games.

Now the Avs have Kinnebrew and the two players Alaska recieved in the original trade, which turned out to be quite the bargin for the Avalanche.

“We’re getting him and Erlacher and Krueger, and we really only had to give up a tender,” Boitz said.

Kinnebrew, who is also a vetern of the British Columbia and Alberta hockey leagues in Canada, collected three assists in 14 games in Wichita Falls. As a member of the Avs, Kinnebrew posted three goals and four assists in 21 games.

Boitz said he felt it was an important to add depth to the blueline before the deadline. One of the team’s leaders on defense, Beau Braun, has been hurt, and only three of its defensemen are veterans of the league.

“With Beau Braun so beat up, we get a litlte young,” Boitz said. “We’re one injury away from being in trouble.”

The trade also keeps Kinnebrew out of the hands of two of Alaska’s rivals — Kenai River and Fairbanks. Wichita Falls knew Kinnebrew wanted to return to his homestate and could have shopped him to the two other programs in the Last Frontier.

Alaska made one other move, Boitz said, and released forward Jay Baldwin. Boitz said, even though the Avs did let the Anchorage native go, it wasn’t exactly by choice.

“He wanted to get out of Alaska and spread his wings a bit,” Boitz said of Baldwin, who told the Avs he was simply looking for new opportunities away from his home state. “We liked him a lot. We really didn’t want to see him leave.”

Baldwin posted three goals and six assists in 20 games.

Alaska currently sits in third place of the NAHL West Division with 35 points and a 17-18-1. The Avs are within reach with second-place Wenatchee and host the Wild in a key mid-week series at the Menard Arena. The Avs and Wild meet on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.