It is a trade that’s making news right across the Western Hockey League. The Kelowna Rockets have made a major move, one the team hopes will bring home not only the WHL championship but also the Memorial Cup. The Rockets have acquired Leon Draisaitl, who has spent half the season in the NHL, from the Prince Albert Raiders.
“I thought there was an opportunity to make our team better and I would be doing an injustice to our organization and our fans not to do it, “ says Kelowna Rockets President and GM Bruce Hamilton.
The 19-year-old German is considered one of the WHL’s best players.
“It will be a change. It is never easy to get sent down, obviously my dream is to play in the NHL, “ says Draisaitl. “It will take some time to adjust but I will make it happen as quick as possible.”
The trade comes at a high cost. In exchange, the Rockets gave up European import Kris Schmidli, defenceman Dalton Yorke, two future fourth-round draft picks, and, for the first time ever, a first round bantam draft pick in 2015.
The trade comes three weeks after the Rockets sent Austin Glover, Jesse Lees and two draft picks to the Raiders in exchange for heavyweight Josh Morrissey and Gage Quinney.
Some are questioning whether the Rockets have given up too much.
“Oh, I haven’t heard that yet but I suppose I will,” says Hamilton. “I am sure Prince Albert is getting the same thing that they did not get enough. I think we did really well in this hockey trade.”
The Rockets’ latest acquisition doesn’t have much time to adjust to Kelowna. He hits the ice tomorrow as the Rockets take on the Vancouver Giants.
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