It wasn’t an extremely busy week on the trade front in the Western Hockey League, but it certainly ended with a bang.
Looking to fill a need, the Kelowna Rockets added a veteran centre in a deal with the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sunday.
The team acquired overage forward Jadon Joseph from Moose Jaw in exchange for a package that included overage winger Kobe Mohr. Also going the other way in the deal are centre Kyle Crosbie, goaltender James Porter and a third-round draft pick in 2022.
In a release, Kelowna general manager Bruce Hamilton said the addition filled a need.
“We needed to get a right shot centreman that can consistently win faceoffs,” Hamilton said. “Kobe was a big part of this deal, they really wanted him back in the trade. James wanted to get back into the league and Crosbie wanted a chance to play more minutes.”
Joseph had seven goals and 13 points in 21 games with Moose Jaw and 210 career games under his belt in the WHL, including stints with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Regina Pats, and Vancouver Giants.
For Moose Jaw general manager Alan Millar, the deal has upside for the Warriors as well.
“This deal keeps our hockey club competitive this season while benefitting our team in the future,” Millar said in a release. “The additions of Mohr and Crosbie gives us added depth up front and Porter solidifies our goaltending.
“The deal gives us important experience, a good young player, and an important future third round draft pick.”
A former first-round pick of the Edmonton Oil Kings, Mohr had four points in nine games with the Rockets after joining the team from the Kamloops Blazers, where he had three points in six games to start the season.
Porter has appeared in 73 games in his WHL career, posting a record of 30-22-7-2 with a 3.29 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.
Crosbie had a goal and three points in 12 games this season with the Rockets.
Another deal went down in the WHL on Sunday as the Swift Current Broncos and Vancouver Giants swapped veteran defencemen.
The Giants sent Kaleb Bulych to the Broncos in exchange for Connor Horning.
SPITFIRES ROLLING IN ONTARIO
In the Ontario Hockey League, it’s been smooth sailing for the Windsor Spitfires of late.
A hot streak has the team sitting atop the OHL’s West Division and leading the Western Conference. Just one point out of top spot in the overall standings, the Spitfires have garnered at least a point in 13 consecutive games, a stretch that has seen the team go 11-0-2-0.
The stretch is Windsor’s longest since going 22-0-0-3 between Oct. 12 and Dec. 11, 2009.
Among the OHL’s top offensive teams, the Spitfires have six players with at least 20 points, including scoring leader Tyler Angle, who has 14 goals and 28 points.
The team has been deadly on the man advantage with 26 power-play goals in 21 games and is clicking at a rate of over 33 per cent.
OVERAGE FORWARD REMAINS HOT
Speaking of hot streaks, overage forward Felix Robert of the Sherbrooke Phoenix is on pace to easily top his career-highs offensively.
The veteran forward, who cracked the Sherbrooke roster as an invite in 2016, is riding a 16-game point streak that began on Oct. 1.
In that stretch, Robert has 11 goals and 34 points.
With 15 goals and 38 points in 20 games, Robert has points in all but two games this season for the Phoenix.
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