Kootenay Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth kept things relatively low key on WHL trade deadline day after making his big splash last Sunday with the trade of captain Luke Philp to the Red Deer Rebels.
Chynoweth swung one deal as the WHL trade deadline rolled in Sunday at 12 p.m. (Mountain), acquiring the rights to 16-year-old forward Kaeden Taphorn from the Vancouver Giants in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
“Kaeden Taphorn is a dynamic offensive player and we are very excited to acquire him,” Chynoweth said in a team release. “He and his twin brother Keenan are valuable prospects for our future and we look forward to having both players possibly suit up for our club before the end of the regular season.
“We thank Ron Toigo and the Vancouver Giants organization for their cooperation in accommodating the Taphorn family’s wish to have the two brothers player together.”
The Taphorn name should be a familiar one to Ice fans.
Ice prospect Keenan Taphorn is the twin brother of Kaeden, and was a second-round pick (34th overall) at the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. Kaeden was then selected by the Giants in the third round (47th overall).
“Seeing the Giants take [Kaeden], I was really devastated,” Keenan said following the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.
“We’ve played together our whole lives. It wasn’t a great moment.
“Hopefully we can get something happening here and get us to play together again.”
Both Taphorn brothers failed to report to their respective WHL camps this past fall. According to Chynoweth at the time, the Taphorn family was holding out in hopes of find a way for both boys to play for the same organization.
It may have taken some time, but the Taphorn family finally got its wish.
In 29 games this season with the Yorktown Maulers of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League, the 6-foot, 165-pound Kaeden has registered 10 goals and 22 points.
Twin brother Keenan has registered three goals and 17 points in 29 games.
Over the final week leading up to the WHL trade deadline, the Ice swung the following transactions:
- Trade forward Luke Philp (1995) to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for forward Presten Kopeck (1995), defenceman Ryan Pouliot (1998), forward Tanner Sidaway (1999), a second-round pick (2016) and third-round pick (2016)
- Trade forward Presten Kopeck (1995) to the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for forward Riley Whittingham (1995) and a fourth-round pick (2017)
- Trade defenceman Bryan Allbee (1997) to the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a fifth-round pick (2017)
- Re-assign defenceman Dylan Overdyk (1997) to a team/league TBD
There were a handful of other trades executed around the WHL Sunday prior to the noon deadline:
- Moose Jaw Warriors trade import forward Jiri Smejkal (1996) to the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for import defenceman Patrik Maier (1996) and a fifth-round pick in 2017
- Calgary Hitmen trade forward Layne Bensmiller (1997) and defenceman Loch Morrison (1997) to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for forward Matteo Gennaro (1997), defenceman Ty Prefontaine (1999) and a sixth-round pick in 2016
- Lethbridge Hurricanes trade defenceman Scott Allan (1996) to the Calgary Hitmen for a seventh-round pick in 2017
- Red Deer Rebels trade forward Austin Adamson (1996) to the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for an eighth-round pick in 2017
- Everett Silvertips trade forward Jaeger White (1998) to the Brandon Wheat Kings in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2017
- Edmonton Oil Kings trade forward Garan Magnes (1997) to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a seventh-round pick in 2017
- Regina Pats trade forward Colton Kroeker (1997) to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in 2016