The WHL trade deadline may not be until Thursday, but several teams have gotten an early start on their dealings.
The biggest question going into the deadline was who was going to win the Ty Wishart sweepstakes as the 19-year-old Prince George defenseman was the most talked-about target around the league.
The answer is the Moose Jaw Warriors, who picked up Wishart, 19-year-old center Evan Fuller and a third-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft Monday in exchange for 18-year-old right wing Brad Riege, 16-year-old center Justin Maylan and a first-round pick in 2008. Wishart, a first-round NHL draft pick, will give the Warriors a point producer on the blue line.
The most-active team in terms of acquiring players has been the Regina Pats. The Pats made two separate deals with Red Deer, acquiring 20-year-old right wing J.D. Watt and 19-year-old right wing Scott Doucet for 18-year-old center Cody Gross and 16-year-old right wing Brett Miller, then shipping 20-year-old center Troy Ofukany and 18-year-old defenseman Juraj Valach to the Rebels for 18-year-old defenseman Dallas Jackson. The second trade opened up an overage roster spot so the Pats could acquire 20-year-old defenseman Ryan Bender and 19-year-old defenseman Victor Bartley from Kamloops for 18-year-old defenseman Nick Ross, 19-year-old defenseman Spencer Fraipoint and a third rounder in 2008. The sum total of the deals makes Regina a tougher team physically.
Kamloops also sold off it’s top offensive player, sending 20-year-old center Brock Nixon to Calgary in exchange for 17-year-old defenseman Devon Kalinski and a second-round pick in 2008. For Calgary it beefs up an already formidable offense.
In one other deal, former Everett Silvertip Matt Strong saw himself on the move again. Strong, a 17-year-old defenseman who was part of the trade that brought Clayton Bauer to Everett, was sent by Red Deer to Chilliwack in exchange for 18-year-old left wing Colby Kulhanek.
Around the WHL: Kamloops settled some of its front-office turmoil, naming Brian Fortin as the team’s general manager for the remainder of the season and hiring Steve Passmore as the team’s goaltending coach. … Two WHL players are recovering from grisly injuries. Kelowna captain James McEwan is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair two severed tendons in his wrist. The tendons were sliced by the skate of Vancouver’s Garet Hunt during a fight. Meanwhile Regina center Tim Kraus had to undergo plastic surgery when a shot from then-teammate Valach hit his ear. Regina interim head coach Terry Perkins was quoted in the Regina Leader-Post saying the ear essentially “blew apart.” … Calgary center Kyle Bortis was named the WHL Player of the Week. Bortis had four goals and six assists as the Hitmen went 5-0. … Kelowna center Colin Long was named the WHL Player of the Month for December. Long had nine goals and 14 assists in 12 games.
League leaders: Points — Mark Santorelli (Chilliwack) 65; goals — Drayson Bowman (Spokane) 28; assists — Santorelli 44; penalty minutes — Kyle Beach (Everett) 144; wins — Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver) 27; goals against average — Dustin Tokarski (Spokane) 1.84; save percentage — Jacob DeSerres (Seattle) .927.
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