World Juniors gold medallists Dach and Ostapchuk traded

Colton Dach and Zack Ostapchuk, each of whom won World Juniors gold last week, have been traded.

Dach, the captain of the Kelowna Rockets, was dealt to Seattle for Ty Hurley, Ethan Mittelsteadt and three draft picks. Ostapchuk, who captained the Vancouver Giants, was flipped to Winnipeg for four players, three first-round draft picks and a third-round selection.

The 20-year-old Dach, who missed the elimination stages of the World Juniors after he sustained a shoulder injury in Canada’s final round-robin game, has played just 14 games this year with the Rockets where he tallied nine goals and 17 points. Dach was the 62nd overall pick by Chicago in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Ostapchuk, a Senators prospect, won his second straight World Juniors gold in Halifax. The 19-year-old has spent his entire WHL career with the Giants where he had recorded 48 goals and 96 points in 153 games.

The ICE and Thunderbirds each have 58 points this season, the most in the WHL, and lead the Eastern and Western Conference respectively.