The Knoxville Ice Bears announced today that they will be trading defensemen Craig Geerlinks to Richmond for defensemen Mark Vida and forward Ben Manny. Both players are expected to report to Knoxville immediately, and will practice with the team before they travel to Fayetteville to take on the FireAntz on Friday.
“Although we are sorry to have to see Craig Geerlinks move onto Richmond, we are very excited to bring in an offensive talent like Ben Manny and a young, enthusiastic defensemen like Mark Vida,“ stated head coach Scott Hillman.
Craig Geerlinks was one of only four returning players for the Knoxville Ice Bears this season. During which time, he played twelve games, scored one goal and had four assists. In thirteen games with Richmond, Ben Manny scored three goals and had four assists. Manny has played in stints for Knoxville in the past.
Knoxville will be the third team in the SPHL for Mark Vida this season. He played eight games for the Twin City Cyclones before being traded to Richmond, where he played three games.
“We expect Mark Vida to follow in the footsteps of Matt Withers and Paul Lynch, who have improved dramatically over the season. This will continue to improve our defense and solidify our penalty kill unit,” said coach Hillman. |
