Vancouver trades Capuano to Lightning

Former University of Maine All-American Dave Capuano has finally been traded by the Vancouver Canucks, and he will eventually join former Bear teammate Bob Beers with the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Capuano, who had been playing for Vancouver’s Hamilton, Ontario, affiliate in the American Hockey League, was traded for center Anatoli Semenov. The Lightning will also receive a fourth-round draft choice in 1994.

Capuano, who was also a Hobey Baker Award finalist in college, was en route to report to Tampa Bay’s IHL affiliate in Atlanta and could not be reached for comment.

Semenov, 30, had two goals and three assists in 13 games for the Lightning and was a minus-five. Semenov had 20 goals and 22 assists in 59 games for the Edmonton Oilers a year ago, but was lost to Tampa Bay in the expansion draft. He had 15 & 16 in 57 games for Edmonton two years ago.

The 26-year-old Capuano was Vancouver’s fifth-leading scorer two years ago with 13 goals and 31 assists in 61 games. However, he was sent down to Milwaukee early in training camp last year and demanded to be traded. He had 2 & 6 in nine games for Milwaukee before returning to his parents’ home in Cranston, R.I.

The Canucks and Lightning had developed three trades involving Capuano and three different players, but the Canucks eventually rejected all three. Then this trade came along.

“This is what we’ve been working for since last June,” said Rich Scimone, Capuano’s agent. “Dave’s immediate thoughts were disbelief. He was waiting for this one to get rejected, too. The bottom line is that Vancouver had wanted Semenov and held off long enough to get him.”

Scimone said Capuano is “very excited” about his opportunity.

“Phil Esposito (Tampa Bay general manager) wants David to play center on a scoring line and David feels he needs a couple of strong weeks in the minors to play center the way he wants to play it,” said Scimone.

Beers was traded to the Lightning by Boston a week ago for defenseman Stephane Richer (not to be confused with the forward by the same name) and he scored a goal in his Sunday night debut against Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh won 5-4.