CHL Storylines: WHL holds arms race at CHL trade deadline

The Canadian Hockey League trade deadline passed on Friday, with teams in the Western Hockey League participating in a hectic arms race.

Starting at the beginning of December, the Lethbridge Hurricanes were among the most aggressive teams, acquiring Team Canada’s World Junior captain Brayden Yager and starting goalie Jackson Unger from the defending Ed Chynoweth Cup champion Moose Jaw Warriors.

The Hurricanes went on to acquire Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jordan Gustafson from the Seattle Thunderbirds, standout defenceman Caden Price from the Kelowna Rockets, and forward Anthony Wilson from the Regina Pats as they take a run at the playoffs.

“They’re a good team and now they got players in three critical positions on the blueline, at centre ice, and in net,” TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button said. “It’s not just adding players, but it’s adding players that can really contribute come playoff time. You need players who can carry through that grind.”

To go for it in this playoff run, the Hurricanes dealt goaltenders Brady Smith, and Harrison Boettiger, 15-year-old prospect Colt Carter, forwards Hayden Pakkala and Landen Ward, defenceman Will Sharpe, and a combined 16 draft picks.

Lethbridge sits in fourth place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 23-14-2 record and are trending upwards, winning seven of their past 10 games.

“If you’re the Hurricanes, you can’t measure yourself against teams in the West, you have to measure yourself up against the East,” said Button. “They’re right there. They’re right near the top of the East. When you look at it, they think they’re as good as anyone there.”

The teams ahead of the Hurricanes are the Medicine Hat Tigers, Saskatoon Blades, and Calgary Hitmen, who all made significant moves ahead of the deadline.

Medicine Hat acquired Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk from the Blades to add to a skilled core that includes phenom Gavin McKenna, Cayden Lindstrom, Andrew Basha, and Ryder Ritchie.

The Hitmen added Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio from the Seattle Thunderbirds and after making deep runs the last two years, the Blades sold off some older talent like Molendyk, and forwards Brandon Lisowski, Misha Volotovskii, Ben Riche, and Lochlan Tetarenko for younger players and draft picks to recoup assets lost during their previous playoff runs.

“Medicine Hat has a good team, a good coach, they have everything,” said Button. “Like Lethbridge, they thought they have as good of chance as anyone, so they went after it. Molendyk is a guy who can play 30 minutes a night. It’s a massive, massive addition."

Elsewhere in the WHL, the Spokane Chiefs nabbed the biggest fish on the market in forward Andrew Cristall from the Kelowna Rockets.

Cristall is second in the WHL in scoring with 29 goals and 67 points in 30 games and has made an immediate impact in Spokane after teaming up with star centre Berkly Catton.

The Washington Capitals prospect has only appeared in two games with the Chiefs so far, but recorded an impressive three goals and seven points in those games.

“To me, Cristall is the best power-play guy in Canada,” said Button. Now they’re putting him with an elite offensive player in Catton, it’s a dangerous spot with those guys. You better not take penalties against Spokane because if you do, you’re in big trouble.”

With Kelowna sitting outside the playoff picture with a 15-19-3 record, they elected to sell pieces to gain assets and be ready for when they host the Memorial Cup in 2026.

In return for Cristall and Price they received forward Hayden Paupanekis, defenceman Will Sharpe, goaltender Harrison Boettiger, and 10 draft picks.

The strategy is similar to the moves made by the defending Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit, who traded top defenceman Pavel Mintyukov near the end of his time in the Ontario Hockey League to the Ottawa 67’s in exchange for nine draft picks the year prior to their Memorial Cup run.

“Kelowna is a team that needs a lot of work,” said Button. “If they make the playoffs, they’ll be at the bottom. But going into next year as hosts of the Memorial Cup, they have a lot of work to do.”

Rimouski loads up for Memorial Cup run

This year’s Memorial Cup Tournament will be hosted by the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Rimouski Oceanic and they made moves to make sure they’re able to compete.

In the off-season, the Oceanic made two big splashes by bringing in last season’s MVP Mathieu Cataford and star defenceman Pier-Olivier Roy from the Halifax Mooseheads and Val-d’Or Foreurs, respectively.

To get the two players, Rimouski traded 10 draft picks, including four first-round picks, along with defenceman Pierre-Marc Minville.

Cataford, a Golden Knights prospect, has 11 goals and 42 points in 29 games this season and represented Canada at the World Juniors in Ottawa.

Roy has a goal and 15 points in 38 games this season with a plus-17 rating.

“Rimouski wanted to make their team stronger as Memorial Cup hosts and they did that bet getting Cataford and Roy,” said Button. “They already had good young players that could carry play, and those guys help support it.”

Sitting in second place in the QMJHL’s Eastern Conference at the deadline, Rimouski wasn’t done making a push.

They acquired Jonathan Fauchon from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in December and then made another big splash by trading for Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko from the Saint John Seadogs.

Fauchon leads the QMJHL in scoring this season with 30 goals and 64 points in 38 games split between the Armada and Oceanic. The overage centre had a career-high 30 goals and 71 points last season and is hungry to make an impression for a pro contract.

Mateiko was the captain of the Sea Dogs before his arrival in Rimouski and has 14 goals and 19 points in 23 games this season. The 6-foot-6 winger helped Latvia to an impressive performance at the World Juniors with five goals in the tournament, which included an upset over Canada.

“When you add the leading scorer in the league in Fauchon and a big, strong power forward in Mateiko, they just got stronger,” said Button. “When you add offence and skill that can be spread around, it takes pressure off the other players. As an opponent, when you play them it’s hard to manage them and keep them in check.”

Rimouski only has a two-point edge on the Chicoutimi Saguenéens for the East Division lead with a 26-10-2 record and are 10 points back of the Moncton Wildcats for top spot in the QMJHL.

Moncton made a splash at the deadline as well, acquiring Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Dyllan Gill from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in exchange for 16-year-old winger Niko El Khouri and four draft picks.

The 6-foot-3 right-shot defenceman had appeared in 24 games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, recording two goals and four points. Gill had an injury-plagued season last year, only appearing in 12 games due to a shoulder injury.

“I think Moncton is the best team in the QMJHL and everyone is chasing them,” said Button. “So, with Rimouski hosting the Memorial Cup, other teams around the league are either looking to upset Moncton or get to the final and beat them there. It will be really tough.”

Kingston, Saginaw combine for massive deals

The Kingston Frontenacs made the most noise at the deadline in the OHL, competing two large trades with the Spirit on the same day.

On Jan. 7 the Frontenacs received Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Hay and defenceman Will Bishop from Saginaw in exchange for defenceman Xander Velliaris and eight draft picks.

About an hour later, the two teams came together again for another deal that saw Kingston trade forward Ethan Weir and another eight draft picks to Saginaw for Predators prospect Joey Willis.

Two days later the Frontenacs shored up their goaltending by acquiring Charlie Schenkel from the Soo Greyhounds in exchange for netminder Noland Lalonde and another three picks.

“[Trading that many picks] isn’t just about now, it’s about where your cycle is,” Button explained. “If you see yourself as a contender, you trade your picks. But if you see yourself as a seller, you’re acquiring picks. Then when the seller is ready, they use those picks to acquire players like the ones they traded away.”

Kingston sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-11-7 record and are four points behind the Oshawa Generals for top spot in the East Division.

The Generals were also active prior to the deadline, acquiring Team Canada defenceman Andrew Gibson from the Soo Greyhounds for 16-year-old forward Brady Smith and eight draft choices.

Meanwhile, the Sudbury Wolves received star defenceman Henry Mews from the 67’s while the Barrie Colts got last year’s leading goal scorer Anthony Romani from the North Bay Battalion.

In the Western Conference, the OHL-leading London Knights picked up standout defenceman Cam Allen from the Guelph Storm and the Windsor Spitfires tried to keep pace by trading for overage defenceman Wyatt Kennedy from the Battalion.

“The balance of power in the OHL is in London,” said Button. They’re the best team in the league and everyone is chasing them. I think Oshawa is the best team in the East and I’d be shocked if it’s not London and Oshawa in the OHL final again.”