Ashton Dahms was dealt from Des Moines to Tri-City on Wednesday in exchange for defenseman Brandt Harper
Ashton Dahms first arrived in Des Moines last December as the left-shot forward was acquired after a torrid start with the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness.
Dahms wound up playing 37 games for the Buccaneers and scored 15 goals, earning a commitment to Minnesota Duluth in the process.
The Lakeville, Minn. native returned to Central Iowa this fall and was expecting to spend a full season with the Bucs. However, he understands hockey is a business and plans change, as Dahms was dealt to the Tri-City Storm on Wednesday.
“Obviously there’s a little bit of a shock and unknown when you initially find out, but it’s exciting to join an organization that’s had some great success,” Dahms told The Hockey News. “I know they’ve got a great coaching staff and a lot of high-end players, so there’s a lot of potential there and it’s a fresh slate to go out there and hopefully do something special. So I’m super excited.”
Dahms made the roughly 300-mile trek from central Iowa to Kearney, Neb. Tuesday night and expects to debut with his new club this weekend as the Storm face Lincoln in a home-and-home.
He had just two points – both assists – through eight games this season and was traded straight up for defenseman Brandt Harper, who should help bolster the Bucs’ blue line.
Tri-City (3-4-1-1) and Des Moines (2-7-0-0) are currently the bottom two teams in the Western Conference with eight and four points respectively. Tri-City has just 26 goals through nine games too, which ranks sixth in the eight-team conference – something Dahms hopes to supply.
The Storm carry a six-year playoff streak into this season and have been one of the USHL’s most-consistent teams over the past decade.
As for Dahms’ time in Des Moines, he played 45 total games with the Bucs, finishing with 15 goals and six assists. He said multiple times Wednesday that he loved his time and will forever be thankful to the organization, as they were the first USHL club to give him a true opportunity. Dahms had previously been cut by Green Bay.
While it’s still a shock to the system, Dahms admits he wasn't entirely surprised by the news. Especially based off a couple recent conversations and each team’s need – which Wednesday’s deal addressed.
It's the first time he's been traded in his young career but he’s excited to get started with Tri-City.
“I’m just excited to get going out here and hopefully we can do something special,” Dahms said. “It’s definitely a hard experience to go through. You’re going to a new team with a new set of guys that don’t know who you are, so even simple stuff like learning names and nicknames will be a big change. Plus the systems and the hockey side of things.
“But the biggest thing is you’ve got to focus on controlling the things you can control and ultimately be the player I know I can be. They’re bringing you in here for a reason and with team success comes personal success, so I just want to come in and help this team win however I can.”