Rangers make pair of trades

The Marquette Rangers have acquired defenseman J.C. Richardson from the Alaska Avalanche and forward Jake Watchorn from the Wichita Falls Wildcats.

“A lot of teams make moves in the second half of year to bolster their lineups,” said Rangers head coach Randy Enders. “We wanted to finalize these moves early instead of waiting for the trade deadline so we could get these guys in our system as early as possible so that they can have a maximum effect for our club.

“We’ve been following these two guys closely over the past several weeks and feel they both have the ability to jump in and make an immediate impact.”

The North American Hockey League trade deadline is February 6.

According to Enders, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Richardson, of Fort Collins, Colo., is a big, solid, stay-at-home defenseman who brings experience to the Rangers’ blue line.

“Here’s a guy with 92 games in our league, so he’s used to how things are done and knows what we expect of him,” said Enders. “He’s a former team captain, too, so we have a lot of confidence in him both as a player and as a guy who will represent our organization in all the right ways.”

Enders says the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Watchorn, from Sault Ste. Marie, is another player who fits the mold of the Rangers very well.

“He’s a well-rounded forward will add depth to our offense,” said the coach. “Jake will add size to our lineup upfront and be able to chip in offensively. He’s a solid forward that can also play with a bit of an edge.”