Petruk, Leonard relishing WHL second chance in Lethbridge

By Lethbridge Herald on January 7, 2026.

Nathan Reiter

Lethbridge Herald

Nothing is a guarantee in the Western Hockey League, but both Andrew Petruk and Fraser Leonard are thankful for a second chance with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Lethbridge signed both players from the BCHL on Dec. 12 while the Hurricanes were on a road trip through Saskatchewan. Leonard was with the Prince George Spruce Kings while Petruk had split time this season between the Langley Rivermen and Vernon Vipers.

Hurricane head coach Matt Anholt says both players have made positive impressions with the organization. 

“The adjustment I think has been pretty good. They both know the league really well. I don’t really know what their exact games played in the Western League were before coming here. Both have spent a lot of time in good organizations, been coached by good people, been around good players, and both play heavy, play hard, and excellent teammates as well. We’ve been really happy with both of them.”

Andrew Petruk was undrafted in the WHL and made his WHL debut at age 17 with the Everett Silvertips in the 2022-23 season. After parts of three seasons in Everett, the Silvertips sent Petruk to the Kelowna Rockets at the trade deadline last season in exchange for a ninth round pick. 

In an interview with the Herald, Petruk says his new teammates with the Hurricanes welcomed him with open arms. 

“It’s been good. It’s a super easy group as soon as I got here. I felt like I was part of the team already. It’s a good group of guys we got here. We just got to keep working in practice and come out next game.”

Following last season, Petruk was released by the Rockets who declined to bring him back for his 20-year-old campaign. During the offseason, Petruk had no WHL suitors and signed with Langley in June.

Petruk says it stung to get let go by the Rockets and he’s thankful to get the chance to finish his junior hockey career as an overager in the WHL.

“Leaving the league was tough but getting the second chance, when you’re out of the league, you look back on all the times and how fast it went by. This second chance is really just making me take it in a little more and it’s exciting.”

During his time in the WHL, Petruk has gained the reputation of a bit of a throwback player. The Surrey, BC product is not afraid to shed the gloves and engage in a little bit of fisticuffs in order to stand up for his teammates. In 142 career WHL games prior to joining Lethbridge, Petruk had registered 243 penalty minutes.

Anholt says Petruk’s presence will help keep the opposition away from the younger players on the Hurricane roster. 

“Even when you’re having tough years, you might lose on the scoreboard, but you don’t want to have to have teams come in here and push you around. Andrew is an excellent teammate. I’ve played with and seen guys that maybe are tough guys, but they’re maybe not the best teammates and Andrew is the complete opposite. He’s an outstanding young man and he’s been great for our young guys to maybe get a little bit of tricks of the trade when it comes to fighting. It’s nice to have a teammate that really knows what he’s doing and then he backs people up.”

When asked about his fighting ability, Petruk says it took shape organically during his time with Everett. 

“I think it’s just kind of part of my game. I kind of molded my game around that when I first came into the league. It’s one of those things that just sticks with you and you got to play hard.”

Regardless of how the season finishes for Lethbridge, Petruk will be finished in the WHL at the end of the campaign as he will age out. He says he wants to do his best to leave a positive impression with the younger Hurricanes.

“These young guys are coming in that are so skilled now. Just to be a role model in the room to them. Maybe they can teach me a few things on the ice and I can be a role model off the ice.”

For Fraser Leonard, Lethbridge marks the fourth stop in his WHL journey. The 19-year-old Cochrane, AB product was originally selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the fourth round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. After just three games with the Blades, he was traded to the Calgary Hitmen as part of the return package for Grayden Siepmann. 

After 56 games with the Hitmen, Leonard was traded to the Prince George Cougars on Oct. 31, 2024. Leonard would finish the season with the Cougars before being released in the offseason and signing with the crosstown Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL.

Leonard says his experience bouncing around the league helped him transition smoothly with the Hurricanes.

“It’s for sure easier with the amount of guys I’ve met and stuff and just getting to meet all the new personalities. Everyone’s been really welcoming here so it’s been super easy.”

With a second chance in the WHL, Leonard says he appreciates the opportunity to play in major junior.

“When you’re out of the league, you kind of look back on the times and realize how fun it is. I’m really grateful to be back here and give it another opportunity. There’s a good group of older guys here and also a really good group of younger guys. It’s a really good mix and we all learn from each other every day, so it’s really good.”

The Hurricanes are icing a young roster this season containing several young players trying to get their foothold as full-time contributors in the WHL.

Anholt says Leonard and Petruk bring a level of professionalism that the Hurricanes needed on the bench.

“The old narrative is you always got to have leaders that aren’t wearing letters. They know the difference of what leaders are supposed to do and regardless if they wear or don’t wear letters, they’ve been great additions in regards to helping the ebbs and flows of the negatives and the positives in the dressing room. On the bench, the nice part about Andrew specifically is he doesn’t stop talking even though when you’re down by five in the third period, he’s going to keep chatting and making sure that there’s some life on the bench. We need that.”

The Hurricanes return to action on Wednesday night when they welcome the Seattle Thunderbirds to the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

ICINGS:

According to the WHL Weekly Report released on Tuesday, Lethbridge has three players out with injury. Brayden Smith is listed as week-to-week with an upper body injury, Enzo DiDomenicantonio is out month-to-month with a lower body injury while Liam McFadden is out day-to-day with a lower body injury. Veteran defenceman Matteo Fabrizi remains away from the team on a personal leave.