No cuts in immediate future
By GREG MEACHEM
Advocate staff

With 29 players remaining in training camp, Red Deer Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter won't be brandishing his paring knife anytime soon. "We won't cut anyone for awhile. We'll probably keep all of these guys until after the two Lethbridge games," he said Monday, referring to preseason contests with the Hurricanes Sept. 8 at Stettler and two nights later in Lethbridge.

That's not surprising, considering four players will be attending NHL camps and another, defenceman Adam Dombrowski, is still recovering from shoulder surgery and won't be available for at least another month.

Goaltender Shane Bendera leaves for Columbus Wednesday, while forwards Justin Mapletoft (New York Islanders) and Kyle Wanvig (Boston) and defenceman Ross Lupaschuk (Washington) will depart next week.

Sutter will use Mapletoft, Wanvig and Lupaschuk in Friday's 7:30 p.m. preseason opener in Rocky Mountain House against the Calgary Hitmen.

Dombrowski, meanwhile, joined his teammates for a dryland training session Monday at the Westerner ball diamond, but has been ordered by his doctor to refrain from physical contact.

"He can skate and take part in shooting drills, but that's it until the end of September," Sutter said of the veteran defenceman, who turns 19 in October. "He's fit and he's as strong as ever, but we don't want to rush anything."

Dombrowski won't play any exhibition games and may even miss the regular-season opener against Calgary Sept. 22 at the Centrium. "We'd like to get him into full-contact practices for at least a week before he plays," said Sutter.

The Rebels boss cut 11 players following Sunday's intrasquad game, but two or three - including forward Jason Ertl and defenceman Kyle Tinordi of Red Deer - might suit up with the big club during the four-team Scottsvile/Red Deer Minor Hockey WHL Classic Sept. 15-17 at the Arena.

"We'll be playing three games in three days and who knows if the guys attending NHL camps will be back by then," said Sutter.

"I'm not sold on using basically the same players in each game. The guys who were released Sunday, we'll let them settle in with their midget team, or whatever team they're playing with, and then hopefully we'll be able to acquire their services for the tournament."

Sutter talked to absentee defenceman Jearum Kurtz Monday and has given the 17-year-old Winnipeg native until Wednesday to decide whether he'll return to Red Deer.

"As of now, he's not coming back, but he might change his mind," said Sutter. "But I have to know right away.

"If he doesn't want to be here but still wants to play in the league, then I'll try my best to relocate him."

Kurtz, who played the second half of last season with the Rebels, called Sutter a week before training camp and said he wanted to remain in Winnipeg this winter and play tier two junior.

"Maybe he didn't think he could make our team with all of our defencemen coming back," said Sutter.