While some Western Hockey League contenders continue to load up ahead of this week鈥檚 trade deadline (Jan. 10), the Vancouver Giants got into the fray, making a move of their own.
However, the Giants鈥� move is for down the road.
Vancouver announced the acquisition of 2002-born defenceman Joel Sexsmith from the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday in exchange for the team鈥檚 first round pick in the 2019 WHL bantam draft.
The Broncos had selected Sexsmith in the first round, ninth overall, in the 2017 WHL draft.
At the time of the draft, Swift Current director of hockey operations Jamie Porter described Sexsmith as a potential first pairing defenceman.
鈥淗e is a very good skater, great vision, good hockey sense and he displays very high character,鈥� Porter said.
鈥淛oel Sexsmith is a top-end, highly skilled two-way defenceman that we followed very closely during his draft year,鈥� said Giants general manager Glen Hanlon.
鈥淲e made this move to better our future but it didn鈥檛 come at the expense of any players on our current roster. We鈥檝e played great hockey as of late and it鈥檚 our goal to make sure that we鈥檙e still in the mix for a top spot in the B.C. Division for the remainder of this season.鈥�
The Giants are coming of and they are 3-0 to start a five-game road trip which wraps up this week in Prince George. They are 23-14-3-2 on the season and with 51 points, sit second in the WHL鈥檚 B.C. Division and are fifth overall, as well.
In his final bantam season, the six-foot-one, 165-pound Sexsmith had 16 points in 30 games last year with the Rink Hockey Academy. He has one goal and three assists in nine games this season with the North Xtreme midget prep team. Sexsmith, who is from Edmonton, also played for Team Alberta at the 2017 WHL Cup with a goal and two assists as they won silver. He finished +6 for the tournament.
鈥淲e are very proud of our 2017 draft and to add another player like Joel to our organization from that 2002-born group sets us up very nicely for the future,鈥� Hanlon said.
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