Kamloops Blazers’ Charles Inglis experiment ends

Charles Inglis can play, but it won't be in the Western Hockey League.

The by-most-accounts outspoken 20-year-old forward had a last, best chance to make something of his remaining time in the WHL after the Kamloops Blazers acquired him for a song (a conditional draft choice last month). Whatever the reason — and keep in mind many overages can be jettisoned without regret if a team believes it has to make room for a better one, since teams are limited to three 20-year-olds — his chance with the division-leading Blazers did not last very long.

From Gregg Drinnan:

Inglis showed enough promise that both the Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks invited him to prospects camp after he was not selected in either the 2010 and '11 NHL drafts. He was often productive in his stints with Saskatoon, Prince George and Red Deer, but there was always, how to say it politely, an aura of having 'bad makeup.' That's all secondhand, mind you, but oftentimes in hockey hearsay becomes gospel. As it stands, there probably isn't much of a case to be made he wasn't given a fair trial by the Blazers.

Our own Kelly Friesen suggested it is highly doubtful any WHL team takes on Inglis, who was been dropped by both Red Deer and Kamloops. There is always the possibility of landing one of the other two major junior leagues.

People should not gloat in Inglis' Dub days perhaps predictably biting the dust, not that anyone is being accused of such. True, there is nothing that pushes sports likers' buttons like athlete who appear to squander their talent. Please keep in mind, though, Charles Inglis is a young person trying to find his way in life. Why he evidently couldn't do that within the highly structured environment of major junior hockey while other players appear able to go along to get along is a question for him.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.