WHL announces pausing of team activities for Hurricanes

By Dale Woodard on January 2, 2022.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have been put on hold as a result of Western Hockey League COVID-19 protocol.

On Saturday, the WHL announced the pausing of Hurricanes team activities due to 14 players being on the WHL COVID-19 protocol list due to exhibiting symptoms or having tested positive for COVID-19.

The WHL is working in consultation with the WHL Chief Medical Officer regarding the matter and as a result all team activities, including on-ice practices and off-ice training are halted pending further test results.

Two Hurricanes games were also postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

The Hurricanes were slated to play the Hitmen in Calgary Saturday and were to host the Swift Current Broncos Sunday afternoon at the Enmax Cente.

No other WHL Clubs were impacted as of Saturday afternoon.

In order to reduce the risk of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19, the WHL requires all WHL roster players, hockey operations staff and other team and league office personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Health Canada approved vaccine.

The WHL will provide further information when it is available.

In accordance with WHL policy, the Hurricanes and WHL will not be providing comment or identifying the individuals concerned.

A day prior to the announcement, the Hurricanes announced their second trade in as many days.

On Friday, the team sent 2002-born defenseman Trevor Thurston and a sixth-round draft pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for 2003-born forward Tyson Laventure and 2004-born defenseman Ross Stanley.

Thurston, 19, was acquired by the Hurricanes in 2019 from the Kamloops Blazers.

The Delta, B.C. product has scored three goals and seven points in 24 games this season.

The six-foot-two, 198-pound blue-liner played 73 career games with Lethbridge, posting 22 points (11goals and 11 assists) and 136 penalty minutes over parts of three seasons.

Laventure, 18, was drafted by the Raiders in the second-round and 31st overall in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.

The native of Lloydminster had five goals and 14 points in 23 games this season with Prince Albert.

In his career, the six-foot-three, 186-pound forward has played 93 games, notching 15 goals and 28 points.

Stanley, 17, was originally a second-round draft pick – 40th overall- of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The six-foot, 184-pound defenseman has played 19 games this season with the Raiders and Oil Kings, going pointless.

The Edson product laced up in 18 games in 2020-2021 with Edmonton, registering one assist.

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