By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Hurricanes send Zane Franklin to Kamloops for Jackson Shepard

Jul 31, 2018 | 12:00 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The Hurricanes have made a trade with the Kamloops Blazers that sends veteran forward Zane Franklin west.

The deal sees 18-year-old forward Jackson Shepard join the Hurricanes in exchange for Franklin, who was an alternate captain for the ‘Canes last year. Kamloops also acquires a fourth-round draft pick from Lethbridge.

Shepard is described by Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt in a news release as a “heart-and-soul type guy.” He had nine goals and 13 assists while appearing in all 72 games for the Blazers last season, for a minus-6 rating. He also tallied 39 penalty minutes.

Shepard was part of the gold-medal winning Canadian team at the 2017 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and also played in the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he had one goal and one assist.

“He’s somebody that will fit into our top-nine forwards and will give us lots of depth in the future,” Anholt said.

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Franklin, 19, leaves the Hurricanes after 137 career games, with 54 points and 154 penalty minutes. He had 14 goals and 24 assists during the 2017-18 regular season, adding two goals and four assists during the playoffs.

He was a second-round selection by Lethbridge in the 2014 bantam draft.

“He was a big part of the change here in Lethbridge and we appreciate what he did for the Hurricanes,” Anholt said.