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The Rockets anticipated flurry of trades began Monday night dealing Caden Price to Lethbridge

Rockets begin dealing

Kelowna Rockets defenceman Caden Price is on the move.

The 19-year-old rearguard was dealt late Monday night to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a blockbuster deal that sees 17-year-old defenceman Will Sharpe, the rights to 17-year-old goaltender Harrison Boettiger and five draft picks, including a first round selection, come this way.

This is the first of what is expected to be a number of moves Rockets president and GM Bruce Hamilton will make ahead of Thursday’s Western Hockey League trade deadline in an effort to reshape the team ahead of hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup.

Forwards Andrew Cristall and Jakub Stancl, both 19, like Price, are expected to turn pro with their respective NHL clubs and will not be part of the Memorial Cup team.

Captain Max Graham, a 20-year-old could also be moved before the deadline.

Price leaves the Rockets scoring 26 times and amassing 148 points in 201 games over nearly four full seasons. He has six goals and 26 assists in 27 games this season.

“It’s not an easy situation with Caden. The opportunity for us to host the Memorial Cup forced our hand in moving one of our top players on our team and a member of the world junior team,” said Hamilton.

I think he not only has been a great player for us but a wonderful person in our organization, one that many players look up to.

“It’s a tough thing to do but I think from our perspective as we try to build this team for the Memorial Cup next year, we had to do some things we normally wouldn’t do.”

The key piece back is Sharpe, an offensive-minded defenceman who was the 11th overall selection by the Hurricanes in the 2022 entry draft.

Over 35 games this season, Sharpe has three goals and 24 assists, numbers comparable to those put up by Price in his 17-year-old season.

Boettiger has been playing for the US National Development Program, playing with both the U18 and U17 programs.

The Rockets also receive a basketful of draft choices which can be used to augment future moves prior to next season, including the Hurricanes first and fourth round picks in 2026, a conditional fourth round pick this year as well as a sixth rounder this year and a fifth round selection in 2027.

Sharpe is expected to be in the lineup for weekend games at home to Prince George Friday and in Vancouver Saturday.



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