2025 WHL Trade Deadline: Live Blog
Stay up to date on every move as the 2024-25 Western Hockey League season passes the halfway point. The 2025 WHL Trade Deadline is Thursday, January 9 at 6:00 p.m. MT. Trades must be submitted to the league office by the deadline, though they can be processed and announced afterward.
Thursday, January 9
7:15 p.m. MT- The Portland Winterhawks have made the final move of the 2025 WHL Trade Deadline by adding forward Lochlan Tetarenko from the Saskatoon Blades.
The rookie centreman has five assists in his first 25 WHL games.
Tetarenko is a 5-foot-10, 152-pound forward from Okotoks, Alta.
The Blades selected him in the third round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
Tetarenko previously suited up for the Edge School U18 Prep Club, where he won a CSSHL Championship in 2024.
He also buried eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 30 regular season games with Edge.
The Blades get a conditional 10th-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft in return.
7:10 p.m. MT- The 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets have acquired forward Andrew Petruk from the Everett Silvertips.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward has two goals and an assist in 15 games this season.
Petruk, 19, was listed by the Silvertips ahead of the 2022-23 season and played parts of three seasons in Everett.
The Surrey, B.C. product totaled 15 points (6G-9A) in 117 games and had one assist in nine playoff games.
Everett receives a ninth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft in the deal.
6:30 p.m. MT- Everett has added to its scoring attack with the addition of Zackary Shantz.
The 19-year-old is on a career-best tear with nine goals (including two game-winners) and 16 assists for 25 points in 37 games with the Regina Pats.
Shantz, from Sucker Creek, Alta., was drafted by the Prince George Cougars in the third round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.
He played parts of two seasons before heading east to Regina.
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound centreman has 51 career points (17G-34A) in 126 regular season games, as well as two playoff goals in seven postseason tilts.
Shantz is currently on a three-game point streak and has eight multipoint performances this season.
In return, Regina gains the rights to forward Shea Rollason and a second-round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 16-year-old has 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points in 29 games with the Winnipeg Bruins U18AAA side and has suited up for one game with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings.
6:20 p.m. MT- The Spokane Chiefs have picked up the rights to goaltender Sean Cootes in a trade with the Vancouver Giants.
Cootes, 19, is in his second season with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons and has a 9-11-0 record to go along with a 2.62 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and three shutouts.
Vancouver will receive an eighth-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft.
6:00 p.m. MT- The Prince George Cougars are bolstering their depth with the addition of centreman Cole Peardon.
The 6-foot, 177-pound 18-year-old has a goal and four assists in 23 games with the Red Deer Rebels and Prince Albert Raiders this season.
Peardon was drafted by the Raiders 13th overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Outlook, Sask. product has piled up 29 points (10G-19A) in 133 regular-season games and has appeared in five playoff games.
Red Deer gains a fifth-round selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft in the trade.
4:00 p.m. MT- The Brandon Wheat Kings are bringing goaltender Hudson Perry into the fold in a swap with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Perry, 17, has appeared in 21 WHL contests over the last two seasons, sporting a 4-11-3-0 record, a 4.83 goals-against average and a .852 save percentage with the then-rebuilding Oil Kings.
The 6-foot-2, 161-pound reminder was signed by the Oil Kings in 2023.
Perry has more recently played with the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder, going 2-1-0 with a 3.26 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Edmonton receives a conditional pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft in the deal.
4:00 p.m. MT- The Red Deer Rebels have added winger Nishaan Parmar in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The 6-foot-2, 196-pound forward has five goals (including one shorthanded strike and a game-winner) and 13 assists for 18 points in 39 games with the T-Birds this season.
Parmar, 18, was drafted by Seattle in the seventh round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Surrey, B.C. product has since tallied nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points in 105 regular season contests, in addition to another six points (4G-2A) in nine playoff games.
In return, the Thunderbirds acquire a fourth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and a fifth-round pick in 2026.
2:45 p.m. MT- We have a three-way trade to announce!
Five players and a pile of picks are on the move in a trio of moves involving the Moose Jaw Warriors, Red Deer Rebels and Swift Current Broncos.
The move sees the Warriors add 20-year-old blueliner Eric Johnston, a sixth-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2027.
Johnston, a 6-foot, 190-pound veteran, has four goals (including two-game winners) and nine assists for 13 points in 37 games.
The Regina, Sask. product was drafted by Edmonton in the sixth round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft and player part of his rookie season with the Oil Kings before moving on to the Prince Albert Raiders as part of the Kaiden Guhle trade. Johnston served as Raiders Captain in 2023-24 before joining Swift Current in the offseason.
He has 63 points (14G-49A) in 229 career regular season games and another goal and assist in 10 playoff appearances.
The Reb Deer Rebels are bringing in winger Ty Coupland, defenceman Keaton Dowhaniuk and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
Coupland, 17, is enjoying a solid sophomore season with nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 35 games.
He recorded his first WHL hat trick in a 6-3 win against the Saskatoon Blades on October 4, 2024.
The North Vancouver, B.C. product was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft and picked up 31 points (14G-17A) in his rookie season.
Dowhaniuk brings more than 250 games and important playoff experience to the table.
The 6-foot, 163-blueliner has 81 points (9G-72A) in 246 regular season games, including a goal and three assists with the Moose Jaw Warriors this season.
The Sherwood Park, Alta. product was drafted by the Prince George Cougars with the third-overall pick in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft and parts of six seasons in the Northern Capital.
Dowhaniuk registered four goals and three assists in 15 games as the Cats reached the 2024 Western Conference Championship last season- including an assist on the game-winning goal as the Cougars forced Game 6 against the Portland Winterhawks in the third round.
Finally, the Broncos have acquired veteran Hunter Mayo and forward Trae Wilke.
Mayo, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound rearguard, has brought plenty of offensive flair to the blueline over his five WHL seasons.
The Saskatoon, Sask. product has netted 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 33 games in 2024-25, leading the Rebels in goals and points, and sitting fourth in goals among all WHL defencemen.
Mayo was drafted by the Rebels in the second round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft and has amassed 116 points (42G-74A) in 224 regular-season games, including a rare hat trick against the Saskatoon Blades in 2023-24.
His consistency has extended to the postseason, where he has another 13 points (3G-10A) in 31 contests.
Wilke, 18, is tied for fourth on the Rebels in scoring with eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 38 contests.
Another Bridge City product, Wilke was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 6-foot, 193-pound winger played parts of three seasons with the Canes and has recently hit important milestones with 20 career goals, 32 assists and 52 points in 138 regular-season contests.
2:00 p.m. MT- The Seattle Thunderbirds have added 2024 WHL Champion Brayden Schuurman from the Moose Jaw Warriors in a trade-deadline deal.
The 20-year-old has five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 13 games this season.
He missed more than a month with an injury but has six points (1G-5A) in six games since returning to the lineup.
The 5-foot-9, 198-pound centreman played a critical role in Moose Jaw’s run to the Ed Chynoweth Cup last spring after being acquired in an early-season trade.
Schuurman erupted for seven postseason goals in 20 games, including the game-winning tallies in Games 3 and 4 of the WHL Championship Series.
The Abbotsford, B.C. product was drafted by the Victoria Royals in the fourth round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft.
He’s piled up 156 points (75G-81A) in 209 games with the Royals and Warriors.
The Warriors gain the rights to 16-year-old defenceman Cooper Ernewein, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and a third-round selection in 2028.
Ernewein is a 6-foot, 170-pound blueliner drafted by Seattle in the eighth round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
He currently has 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 24 games with the Saskatoon Blazers U18AAA squad.
2:00 p.m. MT- The Edmonton Oil Kings have acquired 17-year-old defenceman Ryan Gower in a trade with the Prince Albert Raiders.
The 5-foot-10, 162-pound defender was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
Gower, from McCreary, Man., made his WHL debut on November 20, 2024, and registered his first assist shortly after in a 5-0 defeat of the Regina Pats on November 23.
He’s since registered two goals and three assists for four points in 18 games with the Dauphin Kings and Neepawa Titans in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
The Raiders receive a sixth-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft in return.
11:45 a.m. MT- Wenatchee is adding some security between the pipes with the addition of netminder Alex Garrett.
The 19-year-old sports an impressive 13-2-1-1 record with a 2.71 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and one shutout in 18 games with the Everett Silvertips and Brandon Wheat Kings.
He turned aside 33 shots in a 4-0 shutout against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on November 20.
Garrett went 4-1-0-0 in his short Wheat Kings tenure, backstopping Brandon while Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carson Bjarnason was away representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Originally selected by the Calgary Hitmen in the seventh round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Garrett was traded from the Hitmen to the Silvertips on September 24.
Today’s swap sees the Wheat Kings pick up a fifth-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft.
Wednesday, January 8
7:00 p.m. MT- The Medicine Hat Tigers have traded for the rights to 2007-born goaltender Cruz Chase.
The 17-year-old from Airdrie, Alta. is currently playing with the 2024 AJHL Champion Calgary Canucks.
Chase is 8-2-2 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in his first full AJHL season.
The Pats drafted Chase in the seventh round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Regina gains an eighth-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft in the deal.
6:15 p.m. MT- The Everett Silvertips are beefing up their defensive corps with the addition of 18-year-old Landon Cowper.
The Whitehorse, Yukon product has appeared in nine games with the Rockets this season.
He was originally drafted by the Prince Albert Raiders in the fourth round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, but has played his entire WHL career with the Rockets up to this point.
The 5-foot-10, 194-pound blueliner has seven points (1G-6A) in 57 regular season games.
Kelowna gains a seventh-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft in return.
3:00 p.m. MT- The Regina Pats have acquired home-grown goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk in a swap with the Red Deer Rebels.
The 17-year-old was originally drafted by the Rebels in the sixth round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
He was called up on an emergency basis to make two starts for Red Deer in the 2024 WHL Playoffs.
Tabashniuk, from Regina, Sask., is 10-2-0 with the Regina Pat Canadians U18 AAA squad with a 3.13 goals-against average, a .888 save percentage and one shutout this season.
He’s also made three appearances with the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires.
The Rebels will receive a seventh-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.
1:00 p.m. MT- Could a Catton-Cristall connection carry the Spokane Chiefs to their first WHL Championship in 16 years?
General Manager Matt Bardsley sure hopes so.
The Chiefs have acquired bombastic forward Andrew Cristall from the Kelowna Rockets in a blockbuster deal.
Kelowna has picked up 17-year-old Hayden Paupanekis, a first and third-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, a first-rounder in 2027, and second and sixth-round picks in 2026 as the team gears up to host the 2026 Memorial Cup.
Cristall is on pace for a second-straight 100-plus-point season.
The highly-touted Washington Capitals prospect has potted 26 goals and 34 assists for 60 points and a +22 rating in just 28 contests this season.
Cristall sits second in the WHL points race, fifth in goals and leads all skaters in points per game (2.14).
The 19-year-old has only been held off the scoresheet four times but has six games where he’s netted four or more points, highlighted by a three-goal, two-assist effort against Regina and a one-goal, four-assist outing versus Vancouver.
Since being drafted by Kelowna with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Cristall has solidified himself as an all-time Rockets great.
The Burnaby, B.C. product has racked up 135 goals and 205 assists for a whopping 340 points in 219 regular-season games.
He leaves the Okanagan sitting second in all-time franchise scoring and was just one assist away from tying Brett McLean’s all-time assists marker, set back in 1999.
Cristall nabbed WHL B.C. Division Second-Team All-Star honours in 2024 and was named a First-Team All-Star in 2023.
Washington selected the 5-foot-10, 183-pound winger with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and signed the youngster to a three-year, entry-level deal just weeks later.
On the international stage, Cristall has won gold with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he put up six points (1G-5A) in five games. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World U18 Championship with another six-point (2G-4A) performance.
He brings a potent scoring punch to a Chiefs squad that already has an affinity for filling the net.
Spokane, which sits second in the cutthroat U.S. Division, ranks fourth in goals-scored among all WHL clubs, led by Captain and Seattle Kraken Berkly Catton (14G-33A) and veteran Shea Van Olm (28G-23A).
On the other side, Kelowna lands young centreman Hayden Paupanekis and a trove of important draft picks.
Paupanekis, from Winnipeg, Man., has 11 goals and 12 assists for 24 points in 39 games this season.
The 6-foot-4, 198-pound forward is in his sophomore WHL season after being drafted by Spokane in the third round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
Paupanekis has already surpassed his rookie season totals and owns a career record of 44 points (21G-23A) in 101 games. He’s also on a five-game point streak.
9:30 a.m. MT- Call it a spoil of Riches.
The Prince George Cougars have added high-scoring centreman Ben Riche in a major trade with the Saskatoon Blades.
The move sees Saskatoon gain Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Laing, the rights to 15-year-old defenceman Luke Dumas, a first-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft, and a fifth-round selection in 2028.
Riche, 19, is blowing his previous career totals out of the water with a breakout season.
The 5-foo-11, 180-pound forward has 23 goals (including three game-winners and four powerplay strikes) and 31 assists for 54 points and a +18 rating in 37 games.
He led the Blades in all three offensive categories.
The Bethune, Sask. product is currently riding a nine-game point streak that’s seen him pot 15 points (6G-9A), including an assist on Tyler Parr’s overtime goal against the rival Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday night.
Riche was originally drafted by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the second round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, playing parts of three seasons in the Friendly City before a brief pit stop in Victoria and an offseason trade to Saskatoon.
He has 107 points (46G-61A) in 170 career regular-season contests, in addition to 12 postseason appearances.
Riche has also committed to Quinnipiac University for 2026-27 upon the completion of his final WHL season.
Heading to Saskatoon is towering winger Hunter Laing.
The 6-foot-6, 209-pound forward cuts an imposing figure on the ice, registering 10 goals (two game winners and two powerplay goals) and 12 assists for 22 points and a +7 rating in 36 contests this season.
The Calgary Flames called Laing’s name in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas, Nev.
Laing, 18, is in his second full WHL season after being called by the Cougars in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
He’s accumulated 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points in 110 games.
While Laing hails from Kelowna, his dad’s family is from the Land of Living Skies- he was even in Saskatchewan on the family farm, watching the NHL Draft on TV when he saw the Flames picked him.
Luke Dumas is a 15-year-old defenceman from Beaverlodge, Alta., who currently plays for the Titans Hockey Union in the JPHL.
Tuesday, January 7
6:30 p.m. MT- The Kamloops Blazers are back for more!
The 2023 Memorial Cup hosts have reinforced their defensive corps by picking up 19-year-old defenceman Rhett Ravndahl.
Ravndahl potted one of Brandon’s biggest goals of the year as he triggered the Teddy Bear Toss in a 7-3 win against the Prince Albert Raiders on December 8, 2024.
The 6-foot-1, 184-pound blueliner from Birch Hills, Sask. has two goals and two assists in 29 contests this season.
He came to Brandon in 2024 as part of the monster trade that sent Detroit Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson to the Portland Winterhawks.
The Wheat Kings will receive a fifth-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft as part of the deal.
4:30 p.m. MT- The Kamloops Blazers are filling an overage spot with the addition of Everett Silvertips alternate captain Beau Courtney.
The 20-year-old has five goals (including a game-winner) and four assists for nine points in 31 games this season.
Courtney has played four seasons with the Silvertips since being drafted by Everett in the eighth round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Parker, Col. native has garnered 67 points (34G-33A) and is just two matches away from his 200th regular-season match.
He’s made the playoffs in each of his WHL seasons and has committed to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks for 2025-26 upon the completion of his WHL eligibility.
In return, the Everett Silvertips gain a seventh-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft and free up a roster spot for a 20-year-old player.
12:30 p.m. MT- The Tri-City Americans have entered the chat.
Tri-City has added Columbus Blue Jackets defensive prospect Charlie Elick in a massive trade with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The deal sees the Americans pick up Elick and a third-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft, while the Wheat Kings acquire 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Jordan Gavin and towering defenceman Merrek Arpin.
“We’re excited to add a player like Charlie to our defense corps,” Americans General Manager Bob Tory said. “He adds another level of physicality to our lineup and solidifies our top four defensemen. He has the pedigree of being a high NHL draft pick and gives us one of the best defensive groups in the WHL.”
Elick, 18, has seven assists and 35 PIMs in 33 contests with Brandon this season and has been serving as alternate captain.
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound blueliner was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft last June.
Elick’s punishing, physical style of play has put opponents on notice since he entered the league in 2021-22.
The Calgary, Alta. product was selected by the Wheat Kings with the third overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
He’s totaled eight goals and 39 assists for 47 points in 163 regular-season contests in addition to three assists in four playoff games.
Elick was born in and started playing minor hockey in Austria, where his dad, Mickey Elick, was playing in the then-Erste Bank Eishockey Liga.
He’s represented Canada on the international stage on several occasions, including a pair of gold-medal finishes at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Czechia and the 2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Finland.
Elick netted five assists in 12 games between the two tournaments.
Brandon is getting some important players in return.
Gavin, 18, was an alternate captain for the Americans and has been a key offensive driver in the team’s bounce-back season.
“We’re thrilled to add Jordan and Merrek to our team,” Wheat Kings General Manager and Head Coach Marty Murray said. “Both players have a lot of upside and will complement the style of play we’re looking to build. This trade strengthens our roster as we focus on the rest of this season and beyond.”
The 5-foot-11,179-pound centreman has 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points in 35 games, highlighted by eight multipoint performances.
Gavin ranked third on Tri-City in goals and tied for second in game-winning tallies (two).
He was also named the 2024 U.S. Division nominee for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike Player.
He didn’t take a single penalty in the 2023-24 season and hasn’t been penalised since February 25, 2023. Gavin has just four career penalty minutes in 174 games.
NHL Central Scouting listed Gavin as a ‘C’ prospect, or potential fourth-to-fifth-round pick, in the agency’s Preliminary Player List ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Gavin also won gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he was teammates with Elick.
Joining Gavin is Mantiban Merrek Arpin, who has three assists in 31 games.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound blueliner has been with Tri-City since the Ams drafted him in the third round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
He has 12 career points (1G-11A) and is sitting on a career milestone with 99 regular-season games played.
11:45 a.m. MT- The Regina Pats are staying busy.
Sherwood Park, Alta.’s Ashton Brown is coming back north of the border in a swap with the Wenatchee Wild.
The 5-foot-9.5, 178-pound centreman has scored once and added five assists in 32 appearances with Wenatchee this season.
Brown was originally drafted by the then-Winnipeg ICE in the fourth round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 17-year-old put up six points (2G-4A) in his rookie campaign in Wenatchee in 2023-24.
“We’re excited to add Ashton Brown to our Hockey Club and our young group of players,” Pats General Manager Alan Millar said. “We like the details in his game, his sense and skill, and his experience playing centre.”
The move sees Wenatchee acquire a sixth-round pick (from Lethbridge) in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft.
11:45 a.m. MT- The Lethbridge Hurricanes continue to add with the addition of depth forward Anthony Wilson.
Wilson, 19, has seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 27 contests this season.
The 5-foot-10, 194-pound right winger has piled up 67 points (30G-37A) in 210 regular-season games with Victoria, Brandon and Regina over the course of four seasons.
In enhance, the Regina Pats have stocked up with a fourth-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft (from Victoria) and a sixth-round selection in 2027.
11:30 a.m. MT- A couple of ’04s are on the move.
The Vancouver Giants have added veteran presence with the addition of Maxim Muranov.
Muranov, who clocks in at 6-foot-2.5, 185 pounds, has played four seasons in the WHL since being selected by the Calgary Hitmen with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.
The 20-year-old was previously traded to Wenatchee as part of the Daniel Hauser trade on January 2, but had not suited up for a game with the Wild.
He’s amassed up 41 goals (including nine game-winners) and 75 assists for 116 points and a +39 rating in 210 regular-season matches- all with Calgary- and has 25 points so far this season (8G-17A).
Wenatchee gains 20-year-old Tyson Zimmer in the one-for-one swap.
The 6-foot, 192-pound centreman has 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 35 games with the G-men this season.
He was originally selected by the Brandon Wheat Kings with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Russell, Man. product has tallied 64 goals and 79 assists for 143 points in 248 regular season games over five seasons with Brandon, Lethbridge and Vancouver.
Zimmer is also committed to Niagara University for the 2025-26 season upon the conclusion of his WHL eligibility.
11:00 a.m. MT- The Swift Current Broncos have brought in defenceman Marek Rocak in a deal with the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets.
Rocak, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound blueliner, brings offensive upside and stability to the Broncos’ defensive corps.
The 19-year-old has a goal and 15 assists for 16 points in 27 contests this season, with six of his helpers coming on the powerplay.
Rocak recently helped Czechia capture bronze at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he added a trio of assists in nine games at the prestigious tournament.
He’s also represented his home country at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Rocak has suited up for 119 regular-season games, racking up 60 points (10G-50A) since being chosen by the Rockets in the first round of the 2022 CHL Import Draft.
He has another two goals and two assists in 11 postseason contests.
In return, Kelowna takes on forward Dawson Gerwing and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 18-year-old from Meadow Lake, Sask. has 10 points (6G-4A) in 27 games this season.
Swift Current drafted him with the 48th overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
He’s recorede nine career goals and 10 assists in 69 games over two seasons.
10:15 a.m. MT- The B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars have beefed up their blueine by bringing in defenceman Aleksey Chichkin in a trade with the Regina Pats.
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound blueliner has three goals and seven assists in 32 contests with Regina this season.
Chichkin, 19, is in his second WHL season after breaking into the league with the Calgary Hitmen in 2023-24, where he had 10 points (1G-9A) and 92 PIMS in his rookie campaign.
The Vancouver, B.C. product joins a Cougars squad with high aspirations after reaching the Western Conference Championship in the 2024 WHL Playoffs. Prince George has also allowed the fifth-fewest goals of any WHL squad this season.
In return, the Pats continue to stock their draft cupboards with a fourth round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft.
10:00 a.m. MT- The Prince Albert Raiders are bolstering their roster with championship experience.
2024 WHL Champion Rilen Kovacevic is heading to Hockeytown North.
The 20-year-old is in the midst of a career-best season, potting 21 goals (including his first WHL hat trick) and 19 assists for 40 points in 33 games.
Kovacevic led the Warriors in goals and points and has tallied a league-leading four shorthanded markers.
The 5-foot-11, 182-pound winger was originally drafted by the Kelowna Rockets in the 10th round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft and has since added 54 goals and 55 assists for 109 points in 198 career regular season matches.
Notably, he added 15 points (4G-11A) in 20 playoff matches to help Moose Jaw claim its first WHL Championship in franchise history last spring.
The move sees Moose Jaw bring in 20-year-old forward Krzysztof Macias, 17-year-old forward Luke Moroz and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft.
Macias, known by fans as the ‘Polish Prince’, has made a splash since coming to North America from his hometown of Nowy Targ.
The 5-foot-11, 196-pound winger has tallied eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 22 contests in his sophomore WHL season.
Macias finished third in goals (22, three game-winners) on the Raiders in 2023-24 and has been a fixture on Poland’s national teams, most recently representing his country at the 2024 IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship, where he scored twice in seven games.
Moroz, from Grand Coulee, Sask., has a penchant for big moments.
Two of his four goals this season have been game-winners, and he also has 11 assists for 15 points in 34 games.
Selected by the Raiders with the 15th overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, the youngster has 26 points (7G-19A) in 77 regular season matches.
9:00 a.m. MT- Goalie swap alert!
The Vancouver Giants have added 6-foot-1, 185-pound netminder Brady Smith from the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Smith, 19, sports a 10-9-1-1 record with a 3.52 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage in 23 appearances with the Warriors and Lethbridge Hurricanes this season.
The Cloverdale, B.C. product was selected by the Hurricanes in the sixth round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.
Smith was named the CSSHL’s top U15 goaltend for the 2020 season after putting up the league’s best goals-against average (1.55) and save percentage (.925).
He holds a career record of 16-16-2-1 in the WHL with a 3.58 GAA and a .887 save percentage.
The trade sees Moose Jaw gain 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Matthew Hutchison, a fourth-round selection in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and a seventh-round pick in 2028.
The 18-year-old is 10-8-1-0 with the Giants the year with a 3.92 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage.
NHL Central Scouting has tagged Hutchison as a ‘C’ prospect, or a potential fourth-to-fifth round candidate.
The 6-foot-3, 189-pound goalie was chosen 50th overall in the third round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft and has played parts of four seasons with the Giants, collecting a 14-22-2-0 record, a 4.49 GAA and a .870 save percentage.
Monday, January 6
9:00 p.m. MT- Seattle Kraken prospect Caden Price is the newest member of the Lethbridge Hurricanes following a blockbuster deal with the Kelowna Rockets on Monday evening.
Price, who most recently represented Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, heads to Lethbridge in exchange for 2007-born defenceman Will Sharpe, 2007-born goaltender Harrison Boettiger, a first-round pick (2026), a conditional fourth-round pick (2025), a fourth-round pick (2026), a fifth-round pick (2027), and a sixth-round pick (2025).
“We are thrilled to be able to add Caden to our group,” said Peter Anholt, General Manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. “He is an elite defenceman who is a signed guy and will bolster our defence. He’s an outstanding skater who can quarterback a power play while also being a strong two-way guy. Having him with Hockey Canada, most recently at the World Juniors, this is a guy we had targeted and am very excited to be able to add him.”
A product of Saskatoon, Sask., the 19-year-old Price has been a steady two-way presence on the blueline for the Rockets, tallying 32 points (6G-26A) in 27 games this season.
Originally selected by the Rockets in the second round (30th overall) of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Price is a veteran of 201 career WHL games, having collected 148 points (26G-122A) along the way. He has also appeared in 19 career WHL Playoff games, registering 13 points (2G-11A).
“It’s not an easy situation with Caden,” said Bruce Hamilton, President and General Manager of the Rockets. “The opportunity for us to host the Memorial Cup forced our hand in moving one of our top players on our team and a member of the World Junior team.
“I think he not only has been a great player for us but a wonderful person in our organization, one that many players look up to. It’s a tough thing to do but I think from our perspective as we try to build this team for the Memorial Cup next year, we had to do some things that we normally wouldn’t do. Right now, we’re in a situation where we get an opportunity to get a really good player back in return and a number of draft picks that will give us the opportunity to trade for more players this summer.
“We would like to thank Caden for his commitment both on and off the ice during his time with the Kelowna Rockets.”
The left-shot rearguard was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the third round (84th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. He signed his NHL entry-level contract on April 4, 2024.
The Rockets, who are preparing to host the Memorial Cup in 2026, add a quality NHL Draft-eligible defenceman in Sharpe. The 17-year-old product of Ladner, B.C., was identified as a ‘C’ prospect in NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2025 NHL Draft.
A 6-foot-1, 195-pound left-shot blueliner, Sharpe has recorded 27 points (3G-24A) in 35 games this season. Originally selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (11th overall) of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, Sharpe has notched 38 points (7G-31A) in 95 career WHL games.
In 2023, Sharpe represented Canada White at the 2023 World U17 Hockey Challenge, appearing in eight games.
“Will is a high-end, young defenceman who we selected in the first round and it’s hard to give up young, talented players like him at any point, but to make a trade like this, it costs you,” Anholt said. “He has been a great Hurricane in his time with our organization and we wish him the best moving forward.”
In Boettiger, the Rockets land a high-profile American-born netminder. The 17-year-old puckstopper was born December 11 and isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2026. This season with the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP), Boettiger represented his country at the inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge in London and Oshawa, Ont. Appearing in one of the two games for the U.S. NTDP, Boettiger made 35 saves in a 3-2 defeat.
Hailing from Wheat Ridge, Colo., Boettiger was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2022 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.
6:45 p.m. MT- The Central Division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers have landed coveted defenceman Tanner Molendyk in a Monday-night blockbuster deal, reuniting the Nashville Predators prospect with his World Juniors teammate, Gavin McKenna.
He’s joined by veteran winger Misha Volotovskii.
Originally drafted by the Blades with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 WHL Prospect Draft, Molendyk has racked up 26 goals and 108 assists for 134 points and a +66 rating in 210 games over five seasons.
The McBride, B.C. product has also been an alternate captain for the Blades for the past two years.
He played a crucial role in Saskatoon’s 51-win season in 2023-24, clinching the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular season champions.
Molendyk potted another 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 16 playoff matches as the Blades and eventual WHL Champion Moose Jaw Warriors clashed in an epic seven-game Eastern Conference Championship that saw six of seven games go to overtime.
Two of his playoff goals stood as game-tying tallies, while the 6-foot, 184-pound blueliner also teed up Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten for the overtime winner in Game 5.
Molendyk was also named a WHL East Division First Team All-Star.
This season, Molendyk has four goals (including two game-winners) and 17 assists for 21 points in 21 contests, ranking ninth among all WHL defencemen in points per game.
The Nashville Predators selected Molendyk with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract just weeks later.
On the international stage, Molendyk served as an alternate captain for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and was named one of Canada’s top three players of the tournament with two assists. He had made the squad in 2024 but sustained an injury in pre-tournament action that held him out of the event.
He also won gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a goal and three assists in five games.
Molendyk is joined by Volotovskii, a 19-year-old with nearly 200 games of experience.
Volotovskii, a Calgary, Alta. product, was drafted by the Blades in the fourth round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 6-foot-2, 189-pound forward has potted 19 goals (including three game-winners) and 16 assists for 35 points in 195 games.
In return, Saskatoon adds 17-year-old forward Hayden Harsanyi, 17-year-old blueliner Jack Kachkowski, a first and second-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospect Draft, a third and fourth-round pick in 2026 and a fifth-round selection in 2028.
Harsanyi, a 17-year-old Calgarian, had a goal and three assists in seven games this year before being sidelined by a lower-body injury but is close to making his return to the ice.
The 5-foot-10, 177-pound forward was chosen with the 16th overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft and has collected 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 79 regular-season tilts, in addition to a goal in five playoff appearances.
Jack Kachkowski is a 6-foot, 178-pound defenceman who has eight assists and a +4 rating in his second WHL season.
A 2022 fifth-rounder, he has a goal and 12 assists in his young career, in addition to a postseason assist.
12:00 p.m. MT- He’s coming home!
The Saskatoon Blades have acquired Martensville, Sask.’s Kazden Mathies in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Mathies, 17, has five goals and two assists in 31 games with the T-Birds this season.
Originally drafted with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, the 5-foot-11, 191-pound winger put up 11 points (9G-2A) in last season’s rookie campaign.
“Our organization is excited to acquire Kazden today,” Blades associate general manager Steve Hildebrand said. “At the start of the season, we were looking to add to our 2007 forward group and had the opportunity to do so today. Kazden is a cerebral player with offensive upside who can play both centre and wing. We would like to welcome him and his family to Blade City.”
Seattle gains a fifth-round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft in return.
11:00 a.m. MT- The Prince Albert Raiders have added 18-year-old defenceman Linden Burrett in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound blueliner had recently been traded from the Calgary Hitmen to the Thunderbirds as part of the Sawyer Mynio trade on January 4.
Burrett has an assist in his first nine games played at the WHL level.
He previously suited up for the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals, where he potted three goals and six assists in 15 games.
In return, Seattle gains a sixth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
Saturday, January 4
4:00 p.m. MT- Hitmen General Manager Garry Davidson is keeping the moves coming with the acquisition of veteran forward Carson Birnie from the Red Deer Rebels.
In exchange for Birnie, the Rebels receive 2008-born forward Ethan Dundas, 2007-born forward Parker MacDougall, a third-round pick (2026) and a fifth-round pick (2025).
Birnie, a 6-foot-1, 186-pound product of Arcola, Sask., has registered 19 points (9G-10A) in 35 games with the Rebels this season.
A veteran of three WHL campaigns, Birnie was originally selected by the Rebels in the eighth round (160th overall) of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft. In 150 career WHL regular season outings, the left winger has collected 60 points (31G-29A).
Birnie also brings valuable WHL Playoff experience to the Hitmen, having seen action in 21 post-season contests, tallying eight points (4G-4A).
In return, the Rebels receive Dundas, MacDougall, and two WHL Prospects Draft selections.
Dundas, a 16-year-old forward from Regina, Sask., was originally selected by the Hitmen in the seventh round (133rd overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. This season with the Regina AAA Pat Canadians, Dundas has notched 18 points (8G-10A) in 25 games.
MacDougall, a 17-year-old forward from Victoria, B.C., was originally selected by the Hitmen in the fifth round (99th overall) of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. This season with the Fraser Valley U18 Thunderbirds, MacDougall has secured 42 points (17G-25A) in 19 games to sit tied for the scoring lead in the B.C. Elite Hockey League’s U18 AAA Division.
12:00 p.m. MT- The Hitmen are bringing in 2023 WHL Champion and Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio in the latest of a series of statement roster moves.
Mynio, a 6-foot-1, 181-pound defenceman, has five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in games this season, ranking fourth on the Thunderbirds in points.
He’s fresh off of competing with Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he logged an assist in three games.
The Kamloops, B.C. product has piled up 30 goals and 84 assists for 114 points and a +49 rating in 196 career regular-season contests with the Thunderbirds.
He’s also gained valuable experience on two long playoff runs, suiting up for 40 postseason matches.
Mynio collected a goal and three assists in Seattle’s 2023 Ed Chynoweth Cup victory.
He scored his first postseason goal in Game 6 of the Western Conference Championship to help eliminate a strong Kamloops Blazers squad and advance to the finals, where the T-Birds took out the Winnipeg ICE in five games.
Funnily enough, Mynio will now join forces with Calgary’s recently acquired goaltender Daniel Hauser, who was one of Winnipeg’s star players in the 2023 Playoffs.
Vancouver selected the speedy defenceman with the 89th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract the following September. Despite dealing with the challenges of a post-championship season, Mynio was named a WHL U.S. Division Second Team All-Star in 2023-24.
In return, Seattle acquires 17-year-old forward Sawyer Mayes, 18-year-old defender Linden Burrett, a first-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, a first-round pick in 2026, a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a fourth in 2026.
Heading south is sophomore Sawyer Mayes, a 6-foot-4 forward who has three goals and three assists in 31 contests this season.
He’s joined by rookie blueliner Linden Burrett, who has an assist and a +3 rating through his first nine WHL games.
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