An Innisfail hockey player who was drafted by the Tri-City Americans had his rights traded to the Red Deer Rebels last week.
Kaleb Denham, a 16-year-old defenceman, will continue to play for the midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs this season but could be called up to dress for a Rebels game, according to Rebels owner and general manager Brent Sutter.
“That's our goal,” Sutter said.
“I want to rebuild our defence and I want him to be a part of it,” he said, noting Denham is a “real good prospect.”
Sutter said Denham has a lot of things he looks for in a defence player, such as size, moving the puck well, a decent skater, aggressive and he's smart.
“We're hoping if he continues to develop … that he'll be pushing hard to play on our team,” he said.
The Rebels traded a 2013 bantam draft pick and a 2015 conditional pick to the Americans for the rights to Denham, Sutter said.
Denham was picked up by the Tri-City Americans during the Western Hockey League's 2011 bantam draft.
He attended training camps for the team but is thrilled to have the potential to be dressing for a Rebels game, a team he's been watching for most of his life.
“It's been a dream to play for the Rebels since I was a kid,” he said.
He said the Rebels will be watching his development with the Optimist Chiefs this season, which just started.
“Our team is looking really good,” he said.
He's hoping that he does get the call to play a game for the Rebels this season.
“That'd be great if I could get to know the team, the players,” he said.
