The weekend losses to Spokane Chiefs also meant the loss of Josh Zakreski, who had what is acknowledged as a lower-body injury listed as day-to-day. They are already missing Ryan Miller (lower body week-to-week) and Hudson Darby (upper body week-to-week). The Hawks had previously activated Owen Chapman to fill that spot and may have to recall another to fill Darby’s spot. Fortunately, the Hawks have a relatively light game schedule between now and Christmas break, so the hope is that it will allow healing and get them back to the lineup.
Portland also announced the removal of Nikita Mikhailov from the active roster as he has returned to Moscow, Russia. The space on an import will now be looked at as filling with the Hawks trade a couple of months back, the rights to Max Psenicka, whom they traded two conditional picks for back in early October.
Sunday is Teddy Bear Toss night at 4 p.m., a game that will be featured on CW 32, Cable 3. The game is virtually sold out, so expect it to be noisy through the TV when the Hawks score. The Vancouver Giants will be the opposition, as the two teams will play a doubleheader starting on Saturday. Future games will air on CW in 2025 against Seattle and Spokane.
The Calgary Hitmen held their Teddy Bear toss last weekend and, to no one’s surprise, dumped nearly 23 thousand bears on the ice following captain Carson Wetsch’s goal just over a minute and a half into the game, resulting in a lopsided 9-0 Calgary win over Moose Jaw.
Lethbridge Hurricanes have fired the first volley on their intentions for the 2024/ 25 season. Two top players from the Moose Jaw Warriors 20-year-old Brayden Yager and 19-year-old goal tender Jackson Unger headed to the Canes in return for 18-year-old forward Landen Ward, 19-year-old netminder Brady Smith, 15-year-old prospect Colt Carter, two first-round picks (2025, 2028), a second-round pick (2028), a third-round pick (2025), a fourth-round pick (2026), and a fifth-round pick (2026). The Hurricanes sit sixth in the Eastern Conference, nine points out of first in the conference and five back of division-leading Medicine Tigers. Moose Jaw also traded off Dimitri Fortin to Prince Albert for a 6th-round selection in 2028. With Moose Jaw all but out of the race as they sit 21 points back of first place and 10 points back of the last playoff spot, their run to the Cup last season has resulted in dismantling its team for draft picks. In their first game as Hurricanes, Yager scored once, and Jackson Unger won 5-3 over Moose Jaw. Interestingly, Brady Smith, who Lethbridge traded, played that game for Moose Jaw.
The Christmas break is also a freeze time in that transactions cannot be announced between December 18 and 27, though teams will let the players know if they are moving to be ready to be with the new squad post-holiday.
The trade deadline is 2 p.m. Pacific on January 10, 2025. With some teams already in position for the run, expect the telephone wires to be heated up in a few weeks, leading to a complete roster freeze past that point.
It has been announced that Kelowna will host the Memorial Cup in 2026. They were initially to host in 2020 when the COVID pandemic shut down the league, and with the WHL’s turn to host, it made sense; Kelowna will most likely beef up its squad next season.
Be the first to comment