The WHL Trade Deadline: A Perspective

With only a couple of more days to go prior to the Western Hockey League trade deadline of January 10, here are some sober second thoughts.

While the business of junior hockey makes for many “hot stove” type chat sessions among fans and pundits, the evolution of social media has added an entirely new dimension in terms of getting the word out.

Unfortunately, it’s not always the most considerate or efficient means of doing so.

The players involved in transactions are teenagers. Trades impact the players, their team mates, their families and their billet families. The time it takes to consult and notify everyone can be challenging for the organizations involved.

Meanwhile, speculation, correct and incorrect, can run rampant.

Back in January of 2015, Greg Harder of the Regina Leader Post penned a particularly poignant piece that could probably be published every year around this time. Greg was kind enough to forward me the content of that article.

It was published in the Regina Leader Post on January 8, 2015.

Forgotten side of the WHL trade deadline

And, after Harder’s article was published, one particular response was also published in the Regina Leader Post.

That heartfelt letter to the editor, submitted by the father of a WHL player, can be viewed by clicking right here.

(Special thanks to Greg Harder and Gregg Drinnan for their assistance.)