The Moose Jaw Warriors made a major trade late Friday afternoon, as the Western Hockey League team sent former first-round Prospects Draft pick Marek Howell to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for forward Ethan Semeniuk.
The deal came at the request of Howell, 17, who was the Warriors' first-round pick, 16th overall in the 2021 Draft.
“Following the season, Marek approached us about the possibility of moving on from the organization and we wanted to accommodate him the best we could,” Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said in a press release announcing the trade. “We wish him the best of luck with the Giants.”
Howell was one of four players who received what amounted to a 17-game suspension for actions detrimental to the Western Hockey League last season.
The Warriors also received Vancouver’s first- and fifth-round picks in the 2024 Prospects Draft and the Giants’ second-round pick in 2025. Moose Jaw also sent along a fourth-round pick in 2024.
Semeniuk, 18, is heading into his third WHL season and was a third-round pick for Vancouver in the 2020 Draft.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Fort St. John, B.C. product had 12 goals and 22 points in 54 games with Vancouver during the 2022-23 campaign after putting up eight goals and 13 points in 56 games in his rookie season.
“We’re getting a player that can play in our top-nine and for us to get some more draft assets to continue building our hockey club, whether it’s through the draft or a trade,” Ripplinger said.
“Ethan has high-end speed, he has skill, he scored 12 goals last year, so we’re looking for him to add more depth to our forward group.”
Howell played parts of two seasons with the Warriors and had two goals and six points in 49 games.
Next up for the Warriors is their annual training camp at the end of August, with their first exhibition game of the season taking place on Thursday, Sept. 7 against the Swift Current Broncos in Swift Current.
