File photo of the Lethbridge Hurricanes practicing at the ENMAX Centre on January 18, 2022. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Hurricanes part ways with long-time players, GM excited about new acquisitions

Jan 18, 2022 | 11:45 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes made a couple of deals on Monday’s WHL trade deadline day.

The club announced its acquisition of 2001-born forward Corson Hopwo from the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for 2001-born forward Logan Barlage and a fourth-round pick in the 2022 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft.

The 20-year-old Hopwo was selected 138^th overall in the 2016 WHL Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers. From Duncan, BC, he has skated in 25 games this season, totalling 16 points (eight goals, eight assists), along with 27 penalty minutes.

He has collected 96 career points (43 goals, 53 assists) and 138 penalty minutes in 170 career games with the Tigers. Hopwo has appeared in six career playoff games, totalling two points (one goal, one assist) and eight penalty minutes.

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Barlage, 20, was the fourth overall selected of the 2016 draft. He was picked up by the Hurricanes in 2018 from the Swift Current Broncos. From Humboldt, Saskatchewan, he has skated in 31 games this season, scoring seven goals and recording 10 assists, along with 55 penalty minutes.

He has appeared in 259 career regular season games, 217 with Lethbridge over parts of five seasons. In his career with the ‘Canes, he has totalled 147 points (56 goals, 91 assists) and 132 penalty minutes. Barlage has skated in 23 post-season games with Lethbridge, collecting 11 points (seven goals, four assists) and 19 penalty minutes.

WHEATCROFT WITH WINNIPEG

Additionally, Lethbridge traded 2002-born forward Chase Wheatcroft to the Winnipeg ICE.

In exchange, the ‘Canes are getting 2004-born forward Brayden Edwards, a second-round pick in the 2025 Prospects Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft.

17-year-old Edwards was a sixth-round pick (127^th overall) in the 2019 draft by Winnipeg. The first year forward from Abbotsford, BC has laced his skates in 11 games with Winnipeg, dishing out three assists and collecting two penalty minutes. In five games last season with the Yale Hockey Academy, he totalled five points (four goals, one assist). In the 2019-2020 year, he scored 14 goals and collected 15 assists in 36 games with the academy.

Wheatcroft, 19, was undrafted in the WHL Draft but signed by the ‘Canes in 2018. He has skated in 22 games this season, totalling 17 points (four goals, 13 assists), along with eight penalty minutes.

The Calgary-born skater has appeared in 104 career regular season games over three seasons, finishing with 61 career points (19 goals, 42 assists) and 66 penalty minutes.

Lethbridge Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt said Monday was a difficult day for the team and its players, but he’s excited about adding the veteran Hopwo and the younger Edwards to the club’s roster.

He said, “we really like Hopwo as a player.”

“He can skate, he can make plays, he can score, so I think right away, our top six is stronger by adding him into our lineup and should give us something on the power-play and so on.”

“He’s a young guy, he’s got a lot of compete. His compete and character and hockey sense is good, so the opportunity will be here for him. He’ll be one of those guys, that for us to be successful, we need our support group to play and play hard.”

On the departing players, Anholt said “Logan’s [Barlage] been here a quarter of his life and [Wheatcroft] was a big, big part of this group over the last few years, too.”

“Really hard to move good guys out, but all in all when you look at it, we feel we’ve added a real good player in Hopwo as an overage [player] and he should give us something, and with Edwards coming in, we add a young centre iceman that we think can give us something too.”

Anholt remarked that Monday’s moves create more opportunity for “other leaders” on the team to step up and take charge.

He said, “we need more out of our support group and we need guys to take their game to another level for us to be successful, so I think all in all, we added some assets but when we look at it as a whole, we’re here to make playoffs.”

“We still believe that this group can make playoffs and it’s up to our players to have the challenge from within that they’re going to play and create habits that are going to make us play like a big team that we are and play the right way to get us into the playoffs.”

The Hurricanes are currently sitting in 10^th place overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a record of 14-14-2-1.

On his current roster as it stands, Anholt said, “I like our group. We’re still big, we’re still strong but we’re a lot younger.”

“The future looks bright.”

Lethbridge is back on the ice Friday, January 21, hosting the Red Deer Rebels at the ENMAX Centre at 7:00 p.m. before visiting the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday. Anholt said both Hopwo and Edwards are slated to suit up for the ‘Canes this weekend.

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