The Swift Current Broncos added to their forward unit yesterday afternoon by signing 19-year-old Ian Briscoe to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. 

The Winnipeg-born Briscoe is a former Seattle Thunderbird, having recorded two goals and three assists in 45 combined games over parts of two seasons with the team.

"We're pretty excited about Ian, he's a player that I'm familiar with that the guys had on their list previously," said Broncos Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel, Dean Brockman. "He's a guy that plays with a lot of energy, a very heady, smart hockey player. Had some shoulder surgery in the off-season, so he's just recovering from that."

The addition of Briscoe brings the forward count up to 13 on the Broncos' roster, while the back end still holds nine defencemen.

"I think it's a guy that adds depth to our lineup. We're only carrying 12 forwards, so any time you can add someone without giving up any picks or any of that nature... we had some patience when we did that. We're excited to get him in the lineup as soon as he gets ready and set."

Briscoe has split the past two season between Seattle and the MJHL's Dauphin Kings. The 5-foot-10, 172-pound forward holds a 0.79 point-per-game average at the Junior A level, having record 31 points in 39 games.

A former fifth-round (104th overall) draft pick of the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2014, Briscoe is no stranger to finding the stat sheet.

He carries a 1.54 point-per-game average from his time in Winnipeg's Bantam AAA league (60 points in 39 games), as well as a mark just-shy of a point-per-game in Midget AAA (55 points in 59 games).

Though Briscoe won't be heavily relied on for similar point-totals at the WHL level, his new head coach noted that the forward will have a chance to shine as much as he'd like.

"That's what we're hoping for. When I watched him play at Regionals in Saskatoon a few years ago, there was always a chance when he was on the ice," said Brockman. "Really, that's all we can ask of him - certainly he's got to find some confidence within his game, and he's going to have every opportunity to succeed and play in that situation. We're hopeful, but not putting too much pressure on him."

The Broncos have the week off from game action, setting up a Friday-night fight in the 'Gateway to the North' against the nation's best club - the Prince Albert Raiders.