The Moose Jaw Warriors are gradually seeing their 2023-24 Western Hockey League roster take shape, and with that comes some tough decisions.
The team announced Tuesday that 19-year-old forward Tate Schofer had been sent down to the Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League after playing the previous two seasons with the local squad.
“We want to thank Tate Schofer for his contributions to the Warriors over the past two seasons,” Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said.
The Regina product played 36 games in the 2021-22 campaign and had two goals and three points before suiting up for 60 games last season and scoring five goals and 12 points.
Shortly after he was assigned to the Red Wings, Schofer’s rights were traded to the Yorkton Terriers.
The Warriors also sent three of their picks from the 2008 WHL Prospects Draft to their AAA teams, with defenceman Aaron Sawatzky (first round, 16th overall), William Degagne (second round, 36th overall) and Carson Deichert (third round, 60th overall) making the move after solid showings throughout camp.
Sawatzky joins the Airdrie / Cochrane Avalanche of the Alberta Elite Hockey League U17 division, where he played two games last season as a double underager. He had 10 goals and 38 points in 33 games with the Airdrie Xtreme AEHL U15 team.
Degagne will suit up for the Saskatoon Blazers in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League, his first experience at that level. He put up 13 goals and 35 points with the Saskatoon Generals U15 AA team last season and added another two goals and five points in three playoff games.
Deichert simply had to move about 30 feet down the hall, as the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product will be joining his hometown Warriors of the Sask Male AAA Hockey League and could make his debut in their pre-season game Wednesday night. He had 21 goals and 58 points in 28 games last season with the U15 AA Warriors and a further three goals and four points in three playoff games. Deichert also suited up for four games with the U18 AA Warriors and put up a goal and four points.
The WHL Warriors are back in action Friday night when they travel to Brandon before hosting the Wheat Kings at the Moose Jaw Events Centre in their lone home ice pre-season game on Saturday night. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
