The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins bolstered their defence for the upcoming season, acquiring defenceman Tylor Ludwar from the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Okotoks Oilers in exchange for forward Tristyn Deroose.
Both players were born in 1999 and are entering their final season of junior hockey eligibility. They also have considerable Western Hockey League (WHL) experience.
The Regina-born Ludwar joins the Bruins after splitting the last 2 1/2 seasons between the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and Okotoks. After joining Okotoks midway through the 2018-19 season, Ludwar tallied one goal and nine points in 27 games and then added a goal and three points in 13 postseason games.
Before his junior career, Ludwar played midget AAA for the Regina Pat Canadians and was on the 2014-15 team that won the bronze medal at the Telus Cup national tournament.
Ludwar will add experience to the Bruins blueline for the 2019-20 season after the club lost defencemen Johnny Witzke, Jake Heerspink and Aigne McGeady-Bruce to graduation.
Deroose played the bulk of the 2018-19 season with the Bruins, tallying seven goals and 25 points in 45 regular season games. He also scored one of the biggest goals in recent memory for the team, as he notched the overtime winner in Game 7 of the quarter-final series against the Humboldt Broncos to send the Bruins to the next round.
The Bruins have also acquired 2000-born defenceman Kelvin Hair from the British Columbia Hockey League’s Penticton Vees in exchange for a player development fee.
