KIJHL Notebook: Trade deadline

Folliott: “He is an absolute beast of a young D-man – a gym rat who is as strong as it gets. He hits hard, shoots hard and plays hard, he has no fear and is not fun to play against,” said head coach-general manager Levi Stuart.

The Wranglers also acquired former River Rush forward Max Kinnee from the North Vancouver Wolf Pack (PJHL) in exchange for future considerations. Kinnee had 16 points in 22 games split between Quesnel and North Vancouver this season, and recorded 18 points in 37 games with the River Rush last season.

Kinnee: “Max is a talented forward with high hockey IQ, his poise and playmaking ability will help our powerplay and scoring. Max had 10 points in 10 games this year with the North Van in the PJHL.”

Another move saw the Wranglers add 2007-born defenceman Nathan Rizzetto and future considerations from the Grand Forks Border Bruins in return for the playing rights of 2006-born forward Luke McFarlane. Rizzetto appeared in 17 games with the Border Bruins.

Rizzetto: “He is a hard-working, hard-nose young D-man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He lays it all on the line blocking shots and using his body to defend. We have high hopes for him. His work ethic has already boosted our room.”

The Wranglers continued to reshape their blue line by acquiring the playing rights of 2007-born defenceman Finn McGhie from the Princeton Posse in exchange for 2005-born defenceman Ethan Hofstrand.

McGhie: “He is a talented young D-man who skates extremely well and plays the game hard, he has a ton of offensive potential with his speed and IQ.”

Up front, the Wranglers acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Clayton Gillmore and future considerations from the Kelowna Chiefs in return for the playing rights of 2006-born defenceman Dawson Harden. Gillmore was then moved to the Sicamous Eagles in exchange for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Ethan Miller. A rookie, Miller has nine points in 24 games this season.

Miller: “He is a big kid that skates really well, he has had a good rookie season and has a ton of potential to be a great scoring power forward in this league.”

The final move saw the Wranglers acquire the playing rights of 2007-born forward Lucas Frame and 2007-born goaltender Hunter Edwards from the Castlegar Rebels in return for future considerations. Frame recorded nine points in 18 games, while Edwards posted a 4-6-0 record in 11 games with a 3.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.

Frame: “He is another big body and young guy who has had a solid start to his career. He has good hands for his size and plays the game hard. He has great potential to be a top-end guy in this league as he develops.”

Edwards: “He is a good young goalie who has started his career off well. He will help provide some depth and stability for us in the net.”

“I’m extremely excited to add a bunch of guys to our roster that are dedicated to getting better every day,” said Stuart.

Luke Lawford: Brings experience and knows that to do to win as he’s won a U18 prep league title. He’s a leader, skilled, defends great and will be a huge addition to the team.

Acquired the playing rights of 2005-born forward Brayden Vopat and 2007-born defenceman Danil Timchuk from the Fernie Ghostriders for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Isaac Sommer.

Timchuk: “He’s young and skilled and skates well, defends well, and brings some size to our backend. He has the ability to be an offensive force,” said Tucker Braund.

The Rockies acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Lachlan Hanton, 2007-born defenceman Ezra Siemens and future considerations from the Merritt Centennials for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Carter Velker and 2006-born defenceman Lukas Masters.

Hanton: He brings grit and skill as well as a winning mentality from having success at U17 and U18 and he’s a leader.

Siemens: He’s a big body, who can skate, is a solid defender first, but has offensive upside.

The Creston Valley Thunder Cats made a series of roster moves aimed at strengthening their lineup.

The Thunder Cats acquired the playing rights of 2007-born defenceman Nicholas Petropoulos from the Nelson Leafs in exchange for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Tye Matthews. Petropoulos recorded one goal in 18 games with the Leafs.

Creston Valley also added the playing rights of 2006-born forward Asher Makway and 2005-born defenceman Graham Willey from the Castlegar Rebels in return for future considerations.

“He is a veteran presence who brings a lot of experience to our lineup,” said head coach and general manager Geordie Wudrick of Makway. “He’s a big body with a strong frame who can bring a few different elements we’ve been missing throughout our forward group.”

Wudrick was also pleased to welcome Willey back to the organization.

“It’s great to be able to re-acquire Graham,” Wudrick said. “He has good familiarity with our program and our on-ice structures. He brings a strong package of skill, compete and grit, and fits in very well with our team defence.”

The Thunder Cats then acquired 2006-born forward Richard Urvald from the Spokane Braves in exchange for future considerations.

“He’s a bigger body who combines a nice mix of skill and grit,” Wudrick said. “He can play in a number of different spots in the lineup and make plays in all three zones. We’re excited to see Richard in our lineup.”

The final addition saw Creston Valley acquire the playing rights of 2007-born forward Joshua Douglas from the Osoyoos Coyotes in return for future considerations.

“He’s a very solid young player in our league,” Wudrick said. “He’s coming in with a lot of energy and excitement. He moves well, has good stick and puck skills, and fits in nicely with our current group and our core moving forward.”

The Fernie Ghostriders acquired the playing rights of 2005-born forward Carter Velker from the Merritt Centennials in return for future considerations.

Velker: “With Carter, my relationship with him goes way back to when I coached him in bantam, I’ve known him since he was 14,” said head coach-general manager Chad Scarff. “Funny enough, Taylor Sincennes was actually the first coach I called when I got hired, just to see if there was any chance. At 19, Carter obviously wasn’t on the market at the time.

“As a player, his career speaks for itself,” Scharff continued. “He’s got great vision, he skates well, and he’s a veteran in this league. We played them four times in the playoffs last year and I thought he elevated his game. He’s a great kid, great character, and we’re really excited to add him.”

The Ghostriders acquired 2005-born forward Isaac Sommer for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Brayden Vopat and 2007-born defenceman Danil Timchuk.

Isaac Sommer: “First and foremost, Isaac brings a wealth of experience in this league. He was part of a really good Kimberley team last year and went through a deep playoff run, so he’s been there and done it.”

“As we push toward the playoffs, it never hurts to have guys who understand what that takes,” said Scharff. “I like the way he plays — he’s competitive, skates well, and can play up and down the lineup. I think he’ll be an effective player as the games get harder down the stretch and into the playoffs.”

They also acquired the playing rights of 2007-born defenceman Evan Segstro from the Drayton Valley Thunder of the AJHL in return for future considerations.

Segstro: “He brings a lot of versatility. He played defence in U18AAA and then made the AJHL as a forward – to me that isn’t easy to do and tells a lot about a players’ hockey IQ.”

The Golden Rockets acquire the playing rights of 2007-born forward Christian Stephanson from the Merritt Centennials in return for future considerations.

Christian Stephanson: “He has played approximately 40 games at the Junior A level in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He also produced at a point-per-game pace with Kelowna this season, adding another offensive element to the group,” said head coach-general manager Jed Houseman. “We felt adding some more punch to our offensive group was important. We expect him to contribute at both ends of the puck, but hopefully his offensive production continues and develops in the right way.”

They also acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Spencer Bates and future considerations from the 100 Mile House Wranglers for the playing rights of 2006-born forward Justin Mol, 2007-born defenceman Jackson Folliott and future considerations.

Bates: “He brings additional scoring (21 points in 25 games) and speed. He has shown consistent offensive output throughout his junior career, including his time in Quesnel. 

“He’s an impactful player,” Houseman said. “We wanted to add pieces that help our group, and he’s an important addition for us.”

His second move was acquiring the playing rights of 2006-born defenceman Gairen Bona from the Merritt Centennials in return for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Wyatt Cull and 2007-born forward Morgan Page. In 22 games with the Centennials, Bona had 18 points. With the Centennials and Kelowna Chiefs in 57 career games, Bona has 34 points

The Kamloops Storm acquire the playing rights of 2005-born forward Quinn Ramsay and 2005-born forward Cale Nachai from the Nelson Leafs in return for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Sean Milford, 2007-born forward Jack Day and 2007-born defenceman Emery Corpe.

General manager Matt Kolle says the Storm adds experience, leadership, and talent to the team.

“These are two elite 20-year-olds,” says Kolle. “We’re looking for leadership, experience, and talent. “We’ve told Quinn and Cale to just come in and play their game. 

“When you’re in our position in the standings, you have to find ways to better yourself,” Kolle added. “Adding two experienced, capable 20-year-olds gives us another edge as we chase our goal of winning a championship.”

The Storm have also added Teegan Mudryk from the Rocky Rams. Mudrick, a 6-2, 210-pound defenceman from Alberta, has been a target for the team since last February.

“Teegan is a big, strong, capable player who was recovering from an injury for the first part of the year,” Kolle said. “Now, we think he’s ready and he’s going to be a big contributor for us.”

The Kelowna Chiefs acquired the playing rights of 2005-born forward Liam Munro from the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in return for future considerations.

Munro: “Liam is a top-end forward in this league, an offensive guy who can score goals,” said Ferster He was a top-10 scorer in our league, and that’s exactly why we acquired him.”

The Chiefs acquired the playing rights of 2005-born defenceman Jackson MacIntosh from the Nelson Leafs in return for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Christian Stephanson.

Stephanson: “A lot of teams at the deadline are looking for a veteran right-handed defenceman, and Jackson checks a lot of boxes,” said Ferster. “He’s a 20-year-old and has played over 100 games, he’s been through playoffs, and he brings a veteran presence. That was another box we wanted to check.”

On Jan. 10, the Chiefs added 2007-born goaltender Ethan Mann from the Spokane Braves, completing the future considerations owed from a previous transaction on September 22, 2025. Mann is 2-6-1 with a 4.09 goals against average and a .904 SP. Their final move was adding 2006-born defenceman Dawson Harden from  the 100 Mile House Wranglers for 2007-born forward Clayton Gillmore and future considerations. Harden led the Wranglers blue line in points with 18 in 26 games.

The Kimberley Dynamiters acquired the playing rights of 2006-born forward Braeden Jack from the Sicamous Eagles in return for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Ethan Cameron-McGregor and future considerations.

Jack: “He served as captain in Sicamous and was a regular contributor on their top line,” said head coach-general manager Derek Stuart. “He can play anywhere in the lineup. I think he adds to our depth and makes us harder to play against.”

The Dynamiters also acquired the playing rights of 2008-born defenceman Owen Bambrick from the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in return for future considerations.

Bambrick: “That was a trade we felt we had to make not just for now, but for the future as well.”

Bambrick has already made a positive early impression.

“He’s played a game and looked good,” Stuart said. “He brings a lot of skill with the puck, he’s a fantastic skater, and I think he’s just going to get better and better as the days and years go by.”

The final move made was trading the playing rights of 2006-born defenceman Luke Lawford and future considerations to the Columbia Valley Rockies for the playing rights of 2005-born defenceman John Lozeman.

“I’ve been trying to get him for quite a while,” Stuart said. “The timing was finally right. He’s a great skater, a great passer, he shoots the puck, and he’s very good defensively. To me, he’s one of the best defensemen in our league.”

The Merritt Centennials added four players to their roster, including one familiar face.

The Centennials brought back 2007-born defenceman Rhett Serfas from the Portage Terriers (MJHL) in exchange for future considerations.

“Rhett is a big, physical, shutdown defenceman who will be a key member of our D corps and a true minute-muncher for us down the stretch and into the playoffs,” said head coach and assistant general manager Wes McLeod.

Merritt also added experience up front by acquiring the playing rights of 2006-born forward Marcus Hughes from the Winkler Flyers (MJHL) in return for future considerations. Hughes recorded 10 points in 34 games as a rookie last season and brings playoff experience.

“Marcus is a 6-foot-6 power forward who brings a combination of size, speed, physicality and toughness to our lineup,” McLeod said. “He’ll be a handful for opposing teams to handle.”

The Centennials also acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forwards Wyatt Cull and Morgan Page from the Grand Forks Border Bruins in exchange for the playing rights of 2006-born defenceman Gairen Bona.

“Morgan is fast, physical and a relentless forward who plays with pace and an edge,” McLeod said of Page. “We like his competitiveness and his ability to play hard and wear down opponents.”

“Wyatt has a strong motor and isn’t afraid to get into the trenches,” McLeod added. “He’s good in the faceoff circle and provides us with valuable depth down the middle.”

The Nelson Leafs acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Sean Milford, 2007-born forward Jack Day and 2007-born defenceman Emery Corpe from the Kamloops Storm for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Quinn Ramsay and 2005-born forward Cale Nachai.

Leafs general manager Dale Hladun said the club’s recent trades were focused on adding players who were ready for larger roles and more responsibility.

Milford: “I’ve targeted him as far back as the spring after a strong season with the Okotoks U18 program. He’ll have a bigger role with us and I know he was pretty excited to show up.”

Day: “He arrives with leadership experience after captaining his team to a provincial championship. Day as a high-character and simply needed more opportunity than a deep Kamloops roster could provide.”

Corpe: “He adds offensive depth and a left-handed shot.”

The Leafs added the playing rights of 2007-born forward Tye Matthews from the Creston Valley Thunder Cats for the playing rights of 2007-born defenceman Nicholas Petropoulos.

Matthews: “He has size, a shot and personality. He will play an important role moving forward.”

The Leafs also acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Aidan Ansell from the Chilliwack Jets of the PJHL in return for future considerations.

Ansell: “He is bringing size and work ethic. He will benefit from a more consistent role and increased ice time.”

No roster additions to report.

Gendron: “He adds a lot of skill for us on the D-corp and makes really nice plays under pressure for a young guy,” said head coach-general manager Jeremy LeBlanc. “We’ve put him on our power-play, and it’s been working out well. He’s been a great addition.”

The River Rush added 2006-born forward Diego Cazac and future considerations from the 100 Mile House Wranglers for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Spencer Bates.

Cazac: “He has been a real refreshing add. He brings a lot of energy to the team. He’s been working really well with Bagri. He’s really bringing a lot of energy to the club and a good veteran presence to the room.”

LeBlanc made two more moves, one was adding 2006-born goaltender Rylan Benner from the Chaleur Lightning of the MHL in return for future considerations. He is 1-3-1 with a 4.14 GAA and a .862 SP. He also reacquired Lynden Donald-Gorman. Donald-Gorman had 20 points in 15 games, then was brought back from Lightning of the MHL, where he had four points in nine games.