Photo Credit: Damon James
Powell River, BC – The Powell River Kings have acquired ’01 F Jacob Slipec from the Chilliwack Chiefs for future considerations. In a corresponding move, the club has dealt ’00 F Matthew Byrne to the Drayton Valley Thunder for future considerations.
Slipec, 17, scored one goal in six games with the Chilliwack Chiefs this season. The White Rock, BC native played for the Chiefs last season, totaling one goal, eight assists and nine points in 43 games. Prior to the BCHL, he played at Delta Hockey Academy and the West Van Academy.
“He’s a kid that really competes hard,” said Powell River Kings Head Coach Tyler Kuntz. “Jack Brackett and Jacob Paler-Chow navigated and drove our energy bus, and right now it’s empty, so a kid like Jacob (Slipec) can come right in and jump in the driver’s seat.”
Byrne, 19, played in four games with the Kings this season, tallying no points. The Penticton, BC native scored four goals and nine points in 29 games last season after he was acquired in a trade from the Penticton Vees mid-season. In his final year of midget, Byrne set career highs in goals (26) and points (54) in 35 games at Okanagan Hockey Academy Red Prep.
“He’s got some friends that play for Drayton Valley so I think it’s important when you move a player out of province that there is a natural fit there,” said Kuntz. “We want to make sure we take care of the kids that leave the team, and he’s someone we want to help. He’s a great kid, great teammate and he makes everyone on the team, including the coaches laugh.”
The Powell River Kings have also traded the playing rights to ’00 D Kyle Pow to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in exchange for future considerations.
Pow, 19, suited up in 17 games for the Kings last season after coming down from the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. The Nanaimo, BC native also played for the Rockets during the 2017-18 season, posting three assists in 36 games.
“We’d already made our commitments to our players so I told Kyle (Pow) that we would do everything we can to make sure he gets to a spot where he wants to go,” said Kuntz. ”That was the case for him, and we wish him nothing but the best because we just loved. We wanted to do anything we could to help a kid like him.”
