Giants Acquire Defenceman Thurston from Blades for Conditional Pick
Langley, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants are excited to announce the acquisition of 2006-born defenceman Derek Thurston (Delta, B.C.) from the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a conditional draft pick in the 2027 WHL Draft.
In 131 career regular season WHL games, Thurston has produced 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points, along with 162 penalty minutes and a +11 plus-minus rating. During the 2024-25 season, the 6-foot-1 left-shot blueliner produced a career-best 22 points (9G-13A) in 67 games, along with a +9 rating and 96 penalty minutes.
“We are excited to add Derek to help bolster our defence,” Giants Head Coach and General Manager Michael Dyck said. “His presence and experience solidify not only our blueline, but our whole organization, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him back home to Delta.”
Thurston is a product of Delta Hockey Academy, where he won a U17 Prep championship in 2022. He was named the CSSHL U16 Top Defenceman during the 2021-22 season, after recording 36 points (12G-24A) in 33 games. In his U18 season with DHA in 2022-23, he was teammates with current Giants forward Jakob Oreskovic.
The Delta native was originally selected by the Rebels in the sixth round (112th overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Vancouver Giants extend a warm welcome home to Derek.
