The Prince George Spruce Kings have acquired 19-year-old forward Blake Hayward from the Coquitlam Express in return for the rights to 20-year-old forward Nicholas Holowko.
The 6’1″ 200 pound Hayward notched 29 points (8G, 21A) in 51 games with the Express in the 2016-17 season.
He started this season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, but recently had returned to the Express.
Hayward is committed to play NCAA Division One hockey at Union College beginning in 2018-19.
He will make his Spruce Kings debut Friday in Trail to begin a three-game, three-day trip.
Holowko has appeared in 208 WHL games with three teams over the past four seasons including the Kamloops Blazers this year.
The Spruce Kings had Holowko’s BCHL rights protected.
Meanwhile, the Spruce Kings have reassigned tough guy forward Reid Perepeluk to the Kamloops Storm of the KIJHL.
Perepeluk began the season with the Prince George Cougars.