Trade left emotions raw

Jan. 9, 2018 will go down as a day to remember in Lethbridge Hurricanes history.

The entire scope of it has yet to be written.

That day, general manager Peter Anholt sent captain Giorgio Estephan, goaltender Stuart Skinner and forward Tanner Nagel off 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 first-round and third-round pick in the 2020 WHL bantam draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2021.

Fan-favourite Estephan was drafted fourth overall by the Hurricanes in the 2012 bantam draft and played in 297 regular season games, scoring 119 goals and 297 points.

“It doesn’t feel too good,” said an emotional Estephan that morning. “It’s definitely hard leaving the guys, but you have to move on.”

“I was kind of shocked,” said Skinner, who was picked 17th overall in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft and played in 182 games with the Canes.

“It’s an exciting day, too. We can do something special with that team. 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.”

“Adding a guy like Barlage, who is a premier player as a 16-year-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,” Anholt told reporters on Jan. 9.