Re-visiting another Memorial Cup year trade and what it's meant for both the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats
Welcome back to WHL Trade Trees, a brand new recurring article series looking back at several trades in recent WHL history that have made a major impact on the league. The idea for this article series comes from Steve Dangle and the NHL trade tree videos he used to do during his time with Sportsnet. If you have an idea of a WHL trade to be revisited, please leave a comment below.
This week is a look back at the 2018 trade deadline and a deal between the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats that took place on deadline day, Jan. 10, 2018, in advance of the Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup
Here are the full details of the trade: Regina acquires 20-year-old centreman Cameron Hebig and 19-year-old goaltender Ryan Kubic from the Blades in exchange for netminder 20-year-old Tyler Brown, 17-year-old forward Bryan Lockner, a first and second round selection in 2020 and third round picks in 2019 and 2021.
Let’s start with the Regina Pats side of the deal:
Cameron Hebig:
In 26 regular-season games for the Pats following the deal, Hebig posted 11 goals and 21 helpers. Regina fell to the eventual WHL champion Swift Current Broncos in the first round in seven games, but Hebig performed well with eight points (6g, 2a) while posting a plus-five rating in the series. In five Memorial Cup games, he registered four goals and two helpers as Regina lost in the final to the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Hebig was never traded by Regina in the WHL, ending this branch of the trade tree
Ryan Kubic:
Kubic would dress in 12 games for the Pats after the deal. He posted a 5-4-2-0 record, a .914 save percentage with a 3.06 Goals Against Average. During the playoffs, Kubic would appear in all seven games, posting an .891 save percentage and a 3.08 Goals Against Average. He would only make one appearance in the Memorial Cup, as rookie Max Paddock (the current Pats goalie coach) took over the starting role for Regina. Following the 2017-18 season, Kubic never appeared in the WHL and was never traded by the Pats, ending their side of the trade tree.
Now onto the Saskatoon side of the deal:
Tyler Brown:
Brown would only appear in nine games total for the Blades. During that time, he posted a 4-4-0-0 record, an .883 save percentage and a 3.96 goals against average. He would never be traded by the Blades within the WHL and aged out at the end of the season. He last played for the University of Manitoba during the 2019-20 season.
Bryan Lockner:
If you remember Bryan Lockner’s tenure as a Saskatoon Blade, pat yourself on the back because it only lasted a few hours. Later in the day, Saskatoon packaged Lockner, their own first-round pick in 2020 and a second-rounder in 2021, to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for forward Max Gerlach.
Gerlach dressed in 98 regular season games for the Blades over the next two seasons, tallying 62 goals and 48 assists. As a 20-year-old in the 2018-19 season, Gerlach helped the Blades reach the second round of the playoffs before they were eliminated by the eventual WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders in six games. Saskatoon never traded Gerlach in the WHL, ending this branch of the trade tree.
In terms of the draft picks sent to Medicine Hat, the Tigers used the 11th overall pick on rearguard Reid Andresen, who was later flipped to Wenatchee for Jonas Woo. The 2021 second-rounder was used on netminder Ethan McCallum, who ended up playing for the Blades thanks to a separate trade.
2020 First:
Saskatoon would retain this pick, and it turned into the fifth overall pick, which they used on defenceman Tanner Molendyk.
Molendyk would quickly become an impact player in Saskatoon. He appeared in 210 regular-season games for the Blades, registering 26 goals and 108 assists. His contributions on the backend were a major reason that the Blades won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy during the 2023-24 season as the top regular-season team in the league.
He was traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Jan. 6, 2025, along with Misha Volotovskii in exchange for forward Hayden Harsanyi, defenceman Jack Kachkowski, a first and second selection in 2025, a third and fourth round selection in 2026 and a fifth rounder in 2028.
This branch of the trade tree is still very much alive, but should be re-visited at a later date.
2020 Second:
The Blades packaged this pick along with Jackson Caller and a 2020 third-rounder in a trade with the Kamloops Blazers that sent defenceman Nolan Kneen back to Saskatoon.
Kneen appeared in 94 regular-season games for Saskatoon following the trade, registering 12 goals and 51 assists. He was never traded by the Blades, ending this branch of the trade tree.
The 2020 second-round pick that Saskatoon sent to Kamloops was used on defenceman Grayden Slipec. Slipec went the NCAA route and never appeared in a game for Kamloops. He currently attends Northern Michigan University.
2019 Third:
Saskatoon would retain this selection, which turned into the 47th overall pick. The Blades used the selection on Saskatoon native Ethan Chadwick.
Chadwick would debut for the Blades in the 2021-22 season, backing up Nolan Maier. He appeared in 46 career regular-season games as a Blade. Chadwick would be dealt to the Everett Silvertips on May 11, 2023, in exchange for a second-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-rounder in 2025.
Saskatoon would utilize the 2023 second-round pick, which turned out to be 42nd overall, on goaltender Ryley Budd. The 17-year-old Budd has only made one WHL appearance so far.
The 2025 fourth-round pick was packaged along with a 2027 third-rounder in a draft-day trade to the Kelowna Rockets to acquire the 61st overall selection in 2024. The Blades would use that selection on forward Jaggar John, who has appeared in six total WHL games for Saskatoon and is currently spending his 16-year-old season with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
2021 third:
The Blades would hold this selection, which turned into the 53rd overall pick, and used it on goaltender Evan Gardner.
After debuting for the Blades in the 2023-24 season, Gardner quickly established himself as one of the premier goaltenders in the WHL. In 94 career regular-season games, Gardner has posted a 53-24-6-3 record, a .912 save percentage and a 2.58 Goals Against Average.
Verdict:
A deal that both sides would make again if given the opportunity. Regina was a game away from a Memorial Cup title in 2018, with Hebig being a major reason for their success. Meanwhile, Saskatoon has been able to acquire several franchise cornerstone players as a result of this trade, including a 40-goal scorer in Max Gerlach, a franchise defenceman in Tanner Molendyk and a premier goaltender in Evan Gardner.
Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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