Blazers acquire Zellweger, Hofer in blockbuster deal with Silvertips
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The Kamloops Blazers traded four players and an incredible 10 draft picks to the Everett Silvertips in exchange for Team Canada defenceman Olen Zellweger and forward Ryan Hofer on Sunday night in a blockbuster deal in the Western Hockey League.
The Silvertips will receive forward Drew Englot, defencemen Kaden Hammell and Rylan Pearce as well as forward prospect Jack Bakker. They'll also receive 10 draft picks, including four first-round selections.
“It was a very tough decision to part with Olen and Ryan as players who we’ve coached and developed from day one here in Everett,” said Silvertips general manager and head coach Dennis Williams. “At the end of the day, we’re able to bring in players with valuable experience and good battle level in Drew [Englot] and Kaden [Hammell] while putting us in a good position to grow and compete as an organization for the next few years.”
Zellweger, 19, is coming off a strong gold-medal performance with Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax, recording six assists over seven games. The Calgary native scored two goals and nine assists over seven games at the 2022 World Juniors, which took place this past summer in Edmonton.
The 2021 second-round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks has 10 goals and 18 assists over 23 games with the Silvertips this season, his fifth with the team. Zellweger scored 14 goals and added 64 assists over 55 games last season, good enough to win the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's top defenceman.
Hofer, a 20-year-old that was drafted in the sixth-round by the Washington Capitals in 2022, has scored 23 goals and 13 assists over 36 games with the Silvertips in 2022-23.
The Blazers are currently ranked third in the Western Conference with 50 points.