Corridor Cross Checks: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders lose top goal scorer

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders lost a pair of home games this past weekend. They lost their top goal scorer Tuesday.

The Penticton Vees of the junior British Columbia Junior Hockey League announced Tuesday afternoon that they have signed forward Cade Littler. A seventh-round draft pick of the NHL’s Calgary Flames in 2022, Littler was leading the RoughRiders with eight goals in 14 games this season.

The University of North Dakota commit played two years in the BCHL, considered a notch below the United States Hockey League in terms of overall quality, for the Wenatchee Wild in the state of Washington before joining Cedar Rapids for last season’s USHL playoffs.

Littler’s father, Bliss, is the general manager of the Wild, who have jumped to the major junior Western Hockey League this season. Bliss Littler was a longtime junior head coach, including in the USHL, which makes this departure rather curious.

“The family requested a trade,” said RoughRiders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson. “We had a trade completed in the USHL, but the family decided to have him report to Penticton. We wish Cade all the best.”

Because Littler is going to the BCHL, Cedar Rapids gets no player compensation, as it obviously would have had Littler gone to another USHL team. The RoughRiders have an 8-8-1-1 record for 18 standings points, which puts them in sixth place out of eight teams in the USHL’s Eastern Conference.

Cedar Rapids dropped games to Chicago (5-3) and Dubuque (4-2) last weekend. Littler, who has been injured, played Saturday night but not Friday.

Connor Smith had a pair of goals in the Chicago game for the Riders. Goals from defensemen Erik Kald and Zack Sharp gave C.R. a 2-1 lead early in the third period against Dubuque, but the Fighting Saints then scored three times, including an empty netter.

Cedar Rapids has its annual Thanksgiving week home and home with the rival Waterloo Black Hawks. As always, the teams play Thanksgiving night at Young Arena in Waterloo, with the return match Saturday night (7:05 puck drop) at ImOn Ice in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa Heartlanders

First the ECHL club couldn’t win. Now it can’t lose.

The Iowa Heartlanders are on a six-game heater after sweeping three games last week at Xtream Arena from the Utah Grizzlies. Iowa was the last team in the ECHL to win a game but has climbed back to 6-4-2 overall, their 14 standings points placing them in second place out of seven teams in the Central Division.

The Heartlanders beat Utah, 3-2, last Wednesday morning in a school kids day promotion. Liam Coughlin had the game-winning goal early in the third period.

Goaltender Peyton Jones made 30 saves to pick up the win in a 4-0 shutout this past Friday night. Davis Koch had a pair of goals the following night as Iowa won 3-2. Former RoughRider Drew DeRidder made 37 saves in net for his first professional victory in his first game this season.

The Heartlanders’ win streak is one shy of the franchise record. The club received three players back from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League in goaltender Hunter Jones and forwards Casey Dornbach and Louis Boudon.

Koch was named the ECHL Player of the Week this week. He had five goals and an assist in the three games.

Iowa has a brutal road trip this week, playing four games in five days. It begins Wednesday night at Kalamazoo and continues Thanksgiving night at Fort Wayne.

Then it’s on to Wheeling for games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon against the Nailers.

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