CANES SWING BLOCKBUSTER
CANES TRADE ESTEPHAN, SKINNER, NAGEL TO BRONCOS
Broncos send four players, three draft picks to Hurricanes in return
With the Western Hockey League trade deadline looming at 3 p.m. today, the Lethbridge Hurricanes made a major splash Tuesday. At a morning press conference at the Enmax Centre, the Hurricanes announced they had traded captain Giorgio Estephan, goaltender Stuart Skinner and forward Tanner Nagel to the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for 16-year-old forward Logan Barlage, goaltender Logan Flodell, forward Owen Blocker and defenceman Matthew Stanley as well as a firstround and third-round pick in the 2020 WHL bantam draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2021.
After spending his entire junior career with the Hurricanes — a career spanning 297 regular season games — Estephan heads east to join the contending Broncos.
It was tough for the 20-year-old captain to say goodbye.
“It doesn’t feel too good,” said an emotional Estephan, who had 18 goals and 58 points in 39 games this season. “I’ve been here a long time. It’s one of those things and sport we’re involved in. It’s definitely hard leaving the guys, but you have to move on.”
The Canes captain said the deal caught him by surprise.
“Complete (surprise), that’s the only way to put it,” said Estephan. “You know the trade deadline is a looming day for everyone and in the last four years it’s come and gone and here we are today.”
Skinner and Nagel were equally caught off-guard by Tuesday’s move.
“I was kind of shocked,” said Skinner, who has played in 182 games with the Canes, putting up a record of 88-66-8-5 and recently moved into first in the franchise for shutouts with his fourth of the season and 10th in his career. “I’m kind of confused right now. I don’t really know the feeling you can have towards it.”
It made for an emotional morning for the three players.
“I was keeping things pretty strong, I wasn’t getting teary,” said Skinner, who was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round and 17th overall in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.
“And then I saw everyone and started hugging everyone. I went into the dressing room and I just started crying. It’s one of those moments where you see your childhood flash by. I look at the Hurricanes logo and I’m like ‘I played here my whole career and I’m not going to play here again.’ It’s pretty surreal, pretty crazy. All of the memories I made with the guys. Nothing is ever going to take that from me. I love every single one of those guys in there. I’ve learned so much through the guys and everyone that has been here.”
Nagel was also caught by surprise.
“I wasn’t expecting this. It’s kind of hard to explain, so I wasn’t expecting it. I was kind of shocked when it first happened,” said the forward who was acquired by the Hurricanes Sept. 15 of 2016 and will turn 20 on Jan. 27.
Nagel had three goals and eight points in 35 games this season and had 10 goals and 16 points in 72 games last season.
We still feel we’re in the hunt in the Eastern Conference and the Central Division. – Peter Anholt – Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager
“It’ll be the hardest part, leaving these guys. They’re a bunch of great guys here. When I came in last year I got really close with everyone and this year starting over with the new guys, too, we got really close. That’ll be the hardest part, leaving them.”
Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt credited the departing trio for their roles in Lethbridge.
“I’ve always said Nagel was a key piece of last year’s team,” said Anholt. “Obviously with Giorgio, he’s going to leave here as one of the all-time greats, and Stewie will. So a tough day in that regard. But we’ll move on and move forward.”
The three players join a Broncos team that sat at 29-10-3-0 as of Tuesday night, good for second in the East Division behind the Moose Jaw Warriors, and second overall in the league.
Barlage, Flodell, Blocker and Stanley join a 17-19-3-0 Hurricanes team very much in a battle for a playoff spot, currently in third place in the Central Division, trailing the Kootenay Ice by two points with three games in hand as of Tuesday.
That makes Tuesday’s move just as much about the present as a look to the future for the Hurricanes.
“Both,” said Anholt. “Adding a guy like Barlage, who is a premier player as a 16year-old and we believe is going to be a big, big piece of the Hurricanes going forward and has a really good chance to be an outstanding pro. So that is the future but also the present because we believe he can contribute right now. Flodell is another piece where we feel that he’s a really strong goaltender and his numbers prove it. We feel going forward that our goaltending tandem with him and (Reece) Klassen is really strong and should lead us into the playoffs and onwards.
“Adding the other two players, Blocker is a 2000 (born) and a young Nagel-type player, good character. He plays hard and we think that’s a really good add for us at that age, and Stanley being a depth defenceman that is going to come in and give us that really strong depth. So it’s both. We still feel we’re in the hunt in the Eastern Conference and the Central Division and we’ve got our work cut out for us to play more consistent and with the eye of the playoffs out front.”
Estephan, Skinner and Nagel now join a Broncos team already poised for a deep playoff run with a roster that includes Glenn Gawdin, Aleksi Heponiemi and and recent World Junior championship hero Tyler Steenbergen.
“It’s an exciting day, too,” said Skinner. “We can do something special with that team. I know playing against them has obviously been really tough. Now that I’m going to be on their side of things, it’s going to be quite different. I think we’re going to be able to do something really cool this year. I’m hoping we win the Memorial Cup, just like I hoped for that here. I think I’m going to have lots of fun there. I know a lot of guys there. It’s not like everyone is a new person to me. It’s going to be a fun year and I hope we win it all.”
The three newest Broncos have gotten a few glimpses of the team this season with Swift Current boasting a 3-0 record against the Hurricanes.
“They’re a good team and we’ve played them quite a bit, we know how they are and how they play,” said Estephan. “It does make it a little easier, but I’m a bit more focused on here and now and the guys I’m leaving.”
The product of Edmonton was drafted in the first round and fourth overall by the Hurricanes in the 2012 bantam draft and made his WHL debut Dec. 5, 2012 against his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings, scoring his first WHL goal in that game.
In his Hurricanes career, he has played in 297 regular season games, scoring 119 goals and 297 points.
The captain was asked about a highlight over the past five seasons.
He went back to last spring and the Hurricanes thrilling series win over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
“Game 7 last year,” said Estephan. “Best time of my life for sure, without a doubt. I’ll never forget it.”