Ibex Empty Cupboard, Acquire Thornton

Bismarck -- The North Dakota Ibex anounced the acquisition of superstar center Joe Thornton this morning. In exchange for Thornton, the Ibex traded away a large chunk of their future, sending backup netminder Josh Harding, along with highly regarded prospects Sergei Kostitsyn, Bryan Little, and David Perron, as well as first and third round draft picks to the Thunder Bay Timberwolves.

With the addition of Thornton, the Ibex have finally acquired the franchise center they've been chasing since their inception. "Thornton's a guy we've coveted since the get go." stated Ibex GM and majority owner Matt Condon. "We know what Joe brings to the table, and we feel this is a huge step toward contending for another title." Thornton should pair nicely with sniper Simon Gagne, giving the Ibex two legitimate scoring lines. The question is, will this acquisition be enough for the Ibex to contend with the league's elite teams?