Canes secure forward Swetlikoff from Chiefs

By Lethbridge Herald on January 6, 2023.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have acquired 2003-born forward Blake Swetlikoff from the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for a second-round draft pick (2026), a fifth-round draft pick (2025) and the playing rights to 2006-born forward Jack Lackas, the team announced Thursday.

Swetlikoff, 19, was originally drafted by the Chiefs in the third-round (61st overall) in the 2018 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft. The product of Regina, Sask. has skated in 34 games this season for the Chiefs totaling 19 points (five goals and 14 assists) along with 10 penalty minutes. He has collected 61 points (22 goals and 39 assists) and 60 penalty minutes in 128 career games over parts of four seasons with Spokane, including a career-high 11 goals and 29 points in 2021-2022.

“We’re really excited to be able to add Blake to our forward group and help our depth up front,” said Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt in a press release. “We feel that he will help our top-9. It was a steep price for us to pay but our team deserved to be added to with the way we’ve played this season.”

The 6’0, 185-pound forward can play both the centre-ice and win position. Swetlikoff has been a key part of the Chiefs leadership group this season serving as an alternate captain. He played his minor hockey with the Regina Pat Canadians where he accumulated 60 points (22 goals and 38 assists) and 26 penalty minutes in 62 games over two years.

Lackas, 16, who is unsigned was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the first-round (second overall) in the 2021 Western Hockey League U.S. Prospect Draft. The Las Vegas, Nevada product has appeared in seven games with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 16U AAA team where he has recorded eight points (two goals and six assists) with 15 penalty minutes.

Swetlikoff will join the Hurricanes and is expected to be in the lineup on Saturday when the Hurricanes welcome the Edmonton Oil Kings at 7 p.m. to the Enmax Centre.

The club also announced Thursday that they have re-assigned 2005-born forward Zach Bansley to the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

“We hope that Zach will go to Melville and have a really good second half and continue developing as a player so that he can be a contributor for our group in the future,” said Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt in a press release.