UPDATED on January 10:
It could be a quiet trade deadline for two of the Cariboo teams in the KIJHL.
The 100 Mile House Wranglers’ and Williams Lake Mustangs’ Head Coaches say they are happy with their teams after making trades before and early in the New Year.
“We’re pretty happy with the group we have here right now,” says Head Coach and GM Levi Stuart. “The trade we made with Kimberly [Dynamite] was kind of our big acquisition. We’re also getting a couple of guys back from injury that have been out for most of the year. We look at those guys’ returns as being part of our trade deadline acquisitions.
The Wranglers acquired forward Riley Langille and goaltender Drew Cadenhead from Kimberly on January 2.
Defenceman Ethan Hofstrand and forward Luke McFarlane are the two returning players, Stuart reports.
Williams Lake made two trades ahead of the New Year on December 27. Picking up defenceman Trent Thiessen and goaltender Braxton Becker off the Fernie Ghostriders in return for future considerations.
“If something does come up that could make us better, we might look into that, but with the trades we made prior, we’re happy with the team we have,” Head Coach Tyrell Lucas says. “Right now, nothing’s on the table. Our top guys are local, they’re doing really well, and we love them. If somebody comes available that we can add without moving somebody, we would look into that. But at this time, we are not moving any of our players.”
The Quesnel River Rush has made the most moves before the deadline of the Cariboo teams. Picking up defenceman Kaden Ernst from Williams Lake in return for Future Considerations on December 30.
The Rush traded forward Dane Diets to the Merritt Centennials on January 7. In return for forward Wyatt Ball and future considerations.
Both Ernst brothers will reunite in their hometown of Quesnel. The Rush made a move to acquire Dawson Ernst from the Williams Lake Mustangs on January 8, in return for future considerations.
Quesnel has added a goalie to their trade deadline moves on January 9. The Rush have picked up Oliver Read from the Richmond Sockeyes in the Pacific Junior Hockey League in return for future considerations.
The Rush have elected to wait and speak on any more player movements until after the trade deadline.
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