Bobcats Acquire Klein, Danford from Outlaws

Jan 28, 2010

BISMARCK, ND – With only 17 games left before the end of the North American Hockey League’s regular season, the Bismarck Bobcats continue to make a splash in the trade market, acquiring forward Tyler Klein and defenseman Ben Danford from the North Iowa Outlaws for future considerations.

The move to acquire Klein and Danford—both of whom represented the Outlaws earlier this month at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich.—comes just a week after the Bobcats traded for Air Force Academy recruit Aaron Quick from the Wichita Falls Wildcats.

Klein came to the Outlaws in a trade with the St. Louis Bandits early this season and has put up 11 goals and 16 assists on the year—including 10-14-24 with North Iowa. He was a part of the Bandits’ run to their third straight Robertson Cup championship in 2009, registering a goal and two assists during the ’09 playoffs for the eventual champs.

Hailing from Fargo, Klein becomes the third North Dakota native on the Bobcat roster, joining Minot’s Bryce Schmitt and Bismarck’s Tyler Richter.

Danford, from Stillwater, Minn., is a third-year NAHL veteran who began his career with the Southern Minnesota Express and went with the franchise when they moved to Detroit to become Motor City Machine last season. Traded from the Machine to the Outlaws in late 2008, Danford has been a mainstay for the last season-plus on the North Iowa blue line.

This season, Danford has piled up nine goals and nine assists and departs North Iowa as the Outlaws’ top-scoring defenseman and sixth-leading scorer overall.

“I’ve had a chance to talk to both of these young men since the trade was finalized,” said Bobcats head coach Byron Pool, “and they’re both extremely excited to be Bismarck Bobcats. And we’re just excited to have them; both guys are very strong hockey players and will make our roster that much stronger from top to bottom.”

The Bobcats open a two-game series against the Albert Lea Thunder tonight at 7:15 PM at the VFW Sports Center.

The game will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at BismarckBobcats.com via B2 Networks. The pre-game show starts at 6:45 PM.

You won\’t want to miss any of the games this season, so order your Season Tickets, Family Packs and Group Nights today by calling the Bobcat Hockey Office at 701-222-3300 or by e-mailing the office for more information at gobobcathockey@aol.com.

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