What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
Nov 18, 2024
Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
The Saskatoon Blades have made a big move, trading Regina-born forward Kyren Gronick and a second-round draft pick in 2025 to the Vancouver Giants for 18-year-old forward Justin Lies.
The WHL team announced the move Wednesday, with Blades president Colin Priestner saying the Flin Flon-born Lies is just the sort of player the team has been looking for.
“Justin is the exact type of player we’ve been coveting over the last year to help add size, ability and tenacity to our forward group,” Priestner said in a news release.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Lies attended rookie camp with the Las Vegas Golden Knights in July. During the 2021-22 WHL season, he collected eight goals and eight assists over 50 games with the Giants and added a goal and two helpers during 12 playoff games.
“He is very difficult to play against and creates room for his linemates every shift,” Priestner said. “We think he brings an element that was missing from our team with his style of play and his competitiveness.”
Gronick, 18, had four goals and 10 assists in 37 games with Saskatoon last season. He scored three goals and set up six others in 21 games with the Prince George Cougars before joining the Blades.