Wheat Kings acquire duo for Trembecky, picks

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This article was published 25/11/2022 (1225 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Brandon Wheat Kings squad battling through its first prolonged adversity of the 2022-23 Western Hockey League made its first major deal on Thursday.

Wheat Kings general manager Marty Murray acquired 18-year-old defenceman Luke Shipley and 17-year-old forward Anthony Wilson from the Victoria Royals in return for 17-year-old forward Teydon Trembecky, the third-round pick in 2023 originally belonging to the Red Deer Rebels, a fifth-round pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2026.

The deal was made on Wednesday evening but wasn’t finalized until the league approved it on Thursday morning.

“When you look at where we are this season and in the standings, we were due to have a little bit of a shakeup,” Murray said. “That’s kind of the nature of the game. We looked at the two players who were available and thought they would be a good fit for our club, both now and in the future.”

Brandon received the Red Deer third-round pick from the Lethbridge Hurricanes as part of the Tyson Zimmer trade it made on Sept. 27.

Wilson arrived late Thursday afternoon, with Shipley expected to set foot in the city early Friday morning.

Both players will bring elements the Wheat Kings are currently seeking.

Shipley, a six-foot, 179-pound product of Powell River, B.C., has five goals, 21 assists and 139 penalty minutes in 103 games. He was originally selected in the sixth round, 112th overall, in 2019 by Victoria.

“We’ve been coveting a right-handed shot D here,” Murray said. “Again, he fits the mold of age group — the ‘04 that we were looking at — and he’s a steady player. He has the ability to move the puck and get the puck out of the zone and has put up some decent numbers in Victoria this year. He’s a plus player and another high-character kid.”

Shipley, who spoke by phone from Vancouver International Airport, said he is looking forward to joining his new club. He was flying to Edmonton and then Winnipeg, and was being picked up there and driven to Brandon after midnight.

“I’m super excited,” Shipley said. “I had a great time in Victoria but I’ve moved on and I have those memories in the bank. I’m ready to make some new memories and have a fresh start with a great group of guys and a great organization.”

He doesn’t anyone personally on the Wheat Kings, but his friend Wyatt Wilson, Anthony’s older brother, is friends with Jake Chiasson.

Shipley said he brings a number of attributes on the ice.

“I’m a two-way player,” Shipley said. “I like to get up and join the rush and create offence off that. I also prize my game on being hard in the defensive zone and really tough to play against. I also have some grit and I like to mix it up and maybe fight and stick up for my teammates. I think I’m a skilled two-way defenceman who likes to create offence and shut down the other team.”

Wilson, meanwhile, is a five-foot-10, 189-pounder from Swift Current, Sask. In 81 games, he has nine goals, nine assists and 53 penalty minutes. He was the 59th overall selection in the 2020 WHL draft, two picks after Trembecky was taken.

“He’s a good skater and right-shot forward that we need,” Murray said. “He’s an ‘05 forward who has experience in the league — he played in the league as a 16-year-old and put up some decent numbers — and we like his pace and his competitiveness. He’s a real character kid too so we think he’s going to be a long-term fit here for our hockey club.”

Wilson learned about the deal on Wednesday when he received a call from Royals head coach and general manager Dan Price.

“I’m pretty stoked,” Wilson said. “I know a lot of guys here like Jake Chiasson, Quinn Mantei, Ben Thornton and Eastyn Mannix, so I was super happy when I knew I was going to a really good organization. Then I found out a few hours later that Luke Shipley was also going and he and I are pretty close so that also helps. I know it will be a lot easier with him sitting there beside me.”

Wilson said his game is built on working hard and his willingness to go into the “dirty” areas of the ice, while adding he also likes to score.

The two newcomers won’t have to wait long to make their debuts, with the Wheat Kings set to face the Hurricanes tonight and Saturday.

“I’m super excited,” Wilson said. “To get a game under my belt will be really good. I’m looking forward to it and counting down the hours.”

Interestingly, Wilson was a former U15 teammate of Trembecky at NAX.

In 24 games with the Wheat Kings over two seasons, Trembecky had a pair of assists and 18 penalty minutes. The likeable teenager was quick to thank the organization for giving him a chance, along with his billets and teammates for their support during his time in the Wheat City.

“When one door closes, another one opens I guess,” Trembecky said. “That’s how I like to look at it. It was a great spot in Brandon, and I really did like it there and enjoyed my time there, but now I get to go to Victoria and it will be a good opportunity to succeed in my career. You definitely have to make sure there is a balance because of course you see the guys every day for however many months in a row so you definitely grow close to them.

“It was tough to say goodbye.”

Trembecky said he had no idea anything was happening until his agent called to tell him on Wednesday that a deal had been made. As a 17-year-old who is still in high school, league rules require a player to OK the deal, which Trembecky did.

“Teydon is a real good kid,” Murray said. “He works hard, he’s competitive … when trades happen, there is two sides to it. They acquire a player and a lot of times they’re players you don’t want to give up. Teydon matched the age group of the forward coming our way and so that seemed to be a good fit for them. That’s the nature of the beast in the hockey business. You have to lose somebody to bring somebody in.”

Murray is hopeful that the deal will spark his team, which has gone 2-7-1-0 in its last 10 games as it battles injuries and illness for the first time this season.

“It’s important to have that competitive nature every day and a good healthy competition internally to bring guys up to the level we expect them to be at,” Murray said. “Sometimes when things aren’t going well in the wins and losses column, trades are part of hockey and we felt it was a good time and they were players that met the criteria of the birth years we were looking for and the other thing that was important for us was the quality of their character, which will really help as well.”

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