The Vancouver Stealth are waiting on Matt Beers.
The rugged defender is trying to get a fire department job. Beers, 24, has interviews coming up, according to Stealth general manager Doug Locker. If he lands a job, he couldn’t play for the Stealth for a season, due to insurance issues regarding his probationary period.
He didn’t take part in the opening session of training camp on Saturday at the Langley Events Centre. Locker still has him on Vancouver’s roster, still talks about him as a possible member of the 2015 Stealth.
Beers, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander from Coquitlam, has 12 goals, 52 points and 271 penalty minutes in 80 career regular season games with the Stealth.
Vancouver has already lost veteran veteran defenders Kyle Sorensen (knee surgery), Jeff Moleski (free agent, signed in Calgary) and Mike Grimes (traded to Minnesota).
Defender Tim Henderson was supposed to play for the Stealth this season after a year’s absence but he’s been recalled for duty by the U.S. Army. Locker said he didn’t know the particulars. Henderson, 25, is a 6-foot-3, 22-pound righty from Tully, N.Y.
Goaltender Neil Tyacke was also a no-show for the start of training camp on Saturday.
With Sorensen sidelined, the team is looking for a captain. Beers remains a candidate. Other possibles include defender Curtis Hodgson and forwards Cliff Smith and Rhys Duch.
