MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Warriors continued to be busy on the transactions front earlier this week.
The first of pair of deals came on Tuesday, when the Warriors announced they had signed 18-year-old forward Casey Brown to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Brown becomes the first member of the Warriors to have committed to an NCAA school, with the Regina product having signed on with Arizona State University.
He also continues what has been a rapid exodus from the BCHL in recent weeks, as a host of former players from the unaffiliated league have opted to try their hand in the Canadian Hockey League after NCAA eligibility rules changed last month.
Brown had two goals and five points with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees prior to joining the Warriors.
“We are excited to add Casey Brown to our organization,” Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said in the press release announcing Brown’s acquisition. “The Warriors are looking forward to working with Arizona State University to continue Brown’s development.”
As the captain of the Regina Pat Canadians in the Sask Male AAA Hockey League last season, Brown had 33 goals and 56 points in 44 games before adding seven goals and 15 points in 10 playoff games.
“Casey brings speed, grit along with a good work ethic, and we are hoping that he can bring secondary scoring to our team, as he was a top point producer at the U18 level,” Ripplinger said.
It didn’t take long for Brown to have an impact, as he debuted on Tuesday night against the Swift Current Broncos and drew an assist on Pavel McKenzie’s goal midway through the third period, with Moose Jaw going on to a 7-4 victory.
The Warriors were then in action on the trade front on Wednesday, sending goaltender Dimitri Fortin to the Prince Albert Raiders for a sixth-round pick in the 2028 Prospects Draft.
It’s yet another deal designed to help the team recoup the many draft picks they sent to teams as they built their 2024 WHL Championship-winning squad.
“We’d like to thank Dimitri for his contributions to the organization over the past two seasons, including during last season’s championship run,” Ripplinger said.
Fortin was originally selected by the Warriors in the tenth round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Winnipeg product went 7-6-0-1 with a 3.89 goals against average and a 0.890 save percentage over 17 regular season appearances with the Warriors in the past two seasons.
The Warriors are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Calgary to face the Hitmen. Game time is 5 p.m. Moose Jaw time.
-- with files from Marc Smith / Moose Jaw Warriors
