Bulls Sign Sebastien Trudeau, Galiardi, Ouellet, Carlson Skate with Team

BY PAUL GACKLE

DALY CITY – Another day, another roster move for the San Francisco Bulls.

            Head coach and President Pat Curcio replaced some of the skill lost with the departure of Justin Bowers on Thursday by signing forward Sebastien Trudeau of the CHL’s Bloomington Blaze.

            Trudeau scored 26 points in 35 games with the Blaze this season after being released from Greenville Road Warriors in October. Trudeau was the QMJHL’s third-leading scorer with 95 points in junior hockey last year.

 Curcio said Trudeau is going to be the Bulls most skilled forward.

“If he can overcome being a rookie early on here he will flourish,” he said. “If he rolls off a guy and beats someone out of the corner, someone’s getting the puck on their stick.”

Trudeau, 21, is a playmaking forward, who will fill role previously held by Bowers. The former captain is the team’s third-leading scorer with 29 points.

Curcio said Trudeau’s interest in joining the team made Bowers expendable.

“I thought if we could get Sebastien Trudeau it would replace [Bowers] and he’s only 21-years-old,” he said. “Then, I knew we could make the trade happen.”

Galiardi, Ouellet, Carlson Arrive: The three players acquired in the Bowers trade skated with the Bulls for the first time at practice Wednesday.

            Defenseman Scott Langdon said he was impressed with what he saw.

            “They looked really good,” he said. “They didn’t look out of place at all. They’re pretty excited to be here, so we’re looking forward to seeing them in a game.”

            Defenseman Cody Carlson said the team made him feel welcomed right away.

            “They’re great guys here, that’s the first thing I noticed,” he said. “I also came in with two guys I know, which is nice.”

            Curcio said Carlson possesses the offensive skills to skate on the power play and the defensive awareness to match-up against any opponent’s top line, like he did as a member of the Prince George Cougars in the WHL last season.

            “The top guys in the Western League are elite, they go right to the NHL,” he said. “You could see just in practice his poise and his skill.”

            He said the addition of Christian Ouellett and Rylan Galiardi up front makes the Bulls a faster, deeper squad.

            “Galiardi is hard on the puck, strong in front of the net, can win battles on the wall,” he said. “Ouellet is a speedy right-shot winger, shoots on the fly, but he plays the right way, which I really liked.”

            Galiardi said he was surprised to be traded, but he’s pleased to be near his brother, T.J., who plays for the San Jose Sharks.

            “We haven’t had the opportunity to spend a lot time together except a little bit in the summer because we’ve been playing in different places, so that’s a positive,” he said.

            The power forward will skate alongside the Bulls top two scorers, Dean Ouellet and Peter Sivak, against the Stockton Thunder this Friday.

            Curcio said he’s still in the process of juggling the team’s second and third lines.