Kevin Sundher will likely end his WHL playing days as a Brandon Wheat King.
General manager Marc Habscheid of the Victoria Royals shipped Sundher to the Wheat Kings on Monday night for 18-year-old Jordan Fransoo and 17-year-old Dakota Conroy, and a first round draft pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.
“We are very excited to have Jordan and Dakota join our team,” said Habscheid in the team’s release.
“Fransoo is young defenseman who will be a large part of our backend now and in the future. Dakota is a young forward who has skill and grew up playing with Brandon Magee in Edmonton. We feel that these two young men as well as the addition of an extra first round draft pick are key pieces in our effort to build a top end program in Victoria.”
Fransoo, from North Battleford, Sask., is an Ottawa Senators draft pick, taken 186th overall in the 2011 NHL draft. He has 11 points in 41 games this season.
Conroy, from Edmonton, is in his first full WHL season and has recorded four goals and four assists in 37 games played.
The Royals also acquire the Wheat Kings’ first round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.
“It is never easy to trade a player or a person of Kevin’s calibre,” Habscheid said. “His contributions to this organization on the ice are cemented in our record book, and what he brought to the rink everyday will be missed by his teammates and the entire organization. We wish Kevin continued success this year and into his future as a professional.”
Sundher, 19, has played his entire WHL career with the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals franchise, recording 241 points (90 goals and 241 assists) in 255 games. He’s seventh in league scoring this year with 64 points (22 goals) in 40 games.
