Severson Once Again Squirms In Shadow Of Trading Deadline

Four days to the Western Hockey League trade deadline. Four days of acute uncertainty.

Cam Severson, traded four times in his junior career, knows what Ty Jones - dealt to Kamloops on Wednesday - is going through now.

The adjustment to new scenery and systems. The changes in routine. The absence of old friends and the challenge of new possibilities. The apprehension and, in some cases, the relief.

“This is kind of a stressful time for me,” Severson said this week, referring to Monday’s trade deadline. “Given my career, when it comes to this time of the year, anything is possible. I won’t be surprised if I go, and I won’t be surprised if I stay.”

Without targeting Severson, Chiefs coach Mike Babcock wouldn’t rule out a weekend deal, or an 11th-hour move on Monday.

“In business, when somebody makes you the right offer for anything, or anybody, you listen,” Babcock said. “But at this point we’re satisfied with what we have.”

WHL general managers who have room for a 20-year-old could do a lot worse than go after Severson, who seems to have put a second ankle injury behind him.

In his words he’s “starting to get her going again.”

Two goals in Wednesday night’s 5-2 win over Seattle put the league on notice that Severson is much the same player who made such an impact last year, after the Chiefs picked him up from Prince Albert with 23 games left in the regular season.

The latest snag is the question of Severson’s availability for tonight’s Chiefs game in Seattle. A late elbowing major and a game misconduct could lead to a league-mandated suspension. Severson’s hit is under review at the league office in Calgary. A decision is expected late today.

Severson explained what led to the blow to the head of Thunderbirds rookie right wing David Ullmann, who left the ice under his own power, although in obvious discomfort after being down for an extended time.

The hit led to Severson’s ejection.

“His head was caught between the boards and my shoulder,” Severson said. “His head took the brunt of it. I didn’t mean to do it - he was (crouched) a little bit low down. I never intend to do that to a player but it’s part of the game.’ Severson should be available for Saturday night’s game here with the Calgary Hitmen.

“We had good effort from a lot of guys (Wednesday night) but Severson gave us a lot of energy, coming back,” said coach Mike Babcock, referring to the overage winger’s first game in two weeks.

An important aspect of Severson’s return was the work of Chiefs trainer J.R. Miller and physiotherapist Jeff Fenton, Babcock said.

Fenton, a Spokane player in the early 1980s, in the last year of senior amateur hockey here, helped relieve the pain of a displaced nerve.

“It was a nerve that came over the foot, on to the bone,” Babcock said. “It was a nerve that’s supposed to be on the side of the foot, not being touched. But it was on top. The nerve was driving him crazy. They just manipulated it, worked it down, and got it back into place.”

Notes

To the caller who questioned Babcock’s quote that was dropped off the end of Thursday’s account of the Seattle game, it should read, “We haven’t worked hard enough on a consistent basis, or shown enough compassion for each other. That has to change, and I think it will.” … Newly acquired Ryan Thorpe, picked up in Wednesday’s deal for Ty Jones, is scheduled to fly into Seattle from Kamloops today and should join the Chiefs in time for tonight’s game.