MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- When the Moose Jaw Warriors went on their historic run to the Western Hockey League Championship last spring, it came at a cost.
In order to build the roster that would bring the Ed Chynoweth Cup to Moose Jaw for the very first time, general manager Jason Ripplinger made a host of trades that cut deep into the team’s reserve of WHL Prospects Draft Picks, leaving the team severely depleted in that area heading into the future.
The effort to restock and replenish took a step forward on Friday, with the team landing a quality blueline prospect at the same time.
The Warriors announced Friday afternoon that the team has acquired 18-year-old defenceman Ryder Ellis and two draft picks from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for 19-year-old import defenceman Vojtech Port.
The deal comes on the heels of the team adding overage defenceman Keaton Dowhaniuk from the Prince George Cougars of the BCHL.
“Adding Dowhaniuk earlier today and knowing that we could bring in an 18-year-old defenceman to our group, Vojtech became available, and we needed to add some draft picks back following last season’s championship run,” Ripplinger said.
In addition to Ellis, the Warriors added a third round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and second round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft.
Ellis, a six-foot-six defenceman, from Meadow Lake has appeared in 15 games with the Hurricanes this season, posting 17 penalty minutes and a minus-one rating.
Last season with the Battlefords Stars in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League, Ellis posted three goals and 10 points in 43 games, while piling up 105 penalty minutes.
“Ellis brings size, reach and grit for us, he’s a big defender and will help our team improve in the defensive zone,” Ripplinger said.
Port was acquired by the Warriors, along with Rilen Kovacevic, from the Edmonton Oil Kings last December and was a key part of the team’s first WHL Championship, finishing with four assists in 20 playoff games.
“We thank Vojtech for his contributions to the Warriors during last season’s championship run,” Ripplinger added.
The Warriors are off until next Thursday when they host the Saskatoon Blades at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
-- with files from Marc Smith / Moose Jaw Warriors
