Rebels owner Brent Sutter explains trio of trades made

Rebels owner, president, and general manager Brent Sutter said Wutzke was traded because of the plethora of goaltending prospects in their system.

“Our record is our record, and I discussed with the staff here over the last few days and ultimately I had to make the final call on it,” Sutter said on Saturday.

Sutter explained he talked with Wutzke about it, and with the situation the team is in, he told his veteran goaltender that he was only going to get the opportunity to play half of the games remaining, so they can give their younger goalies a chance to play.

“I didn’t think Wutzke would be happy with [playing fewer games], which he said he wouldn’t be, and in the same token, he’s a signed player with the Minnesota Wild, and I don’t think they would have been happy about it either,” Sutter said. “At the end of the day, you do what you have to do. He’s a great kid and I think the world of him, so hopefully it works out really well for him.”

The Rebels will turn to 17-year-old Matthew Kondro and 17-year-old Peyton Shore in net for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

They also have 17-year-old goalie prospect Nathan Salisbury, who’s suiting up for the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, and 15-year-old Chase Nielson, who’s playing for the 18U and 17U programs at the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy.

The Rebels felt the haul of draft picks they received back from the Warriors would ensure their prospect cupboard continues to be full.

“Times have changed,” Sutter said in reference to the NCAA rule change that allows CHL players to join the league. “It all changed last November in how you’re building around these 16 and 17-year-old players because you don’t know if you’ll have them at 19… You have to have picks to allow that to happen.”

Acquiring a first-round pick was especially important for the Rebels, who were without one this year following a trade they made three years ago.

In August of 2022, they traded defenceman Kyle Masters and a first-round selection at the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft to the Kamloops Blazers for defenceman Mats Lindgren.

“It had to be the case, and Moose Jaw knew that. It’s a good trade for them, and it’s a good trade for us… Hopefully it works out well for everyone,” he added.

When it came to the trade involving the departure of Derek Thurston, who was one of the team’s top defencemen last season, Sutter said he wanted to make room for younger players to play more on the back end.

He explained that Thurston was also unhappy with his role in Red Deer.

“He is what he is as a player, and sometimes young men like that have a hard time understanding that,” Sutter said.

Sutter felt it was time to move in a different direction, and he was thrilled to trade for Kohen Lodge, who’s the son of longtime Rebels skills coach Erik Lodge.

“He’s going to play hard, and he’s going to be here for a few years. We were excited about making that trade happen.”

However, despite the loss of Thurston, the Rebels gained another top defenceman with the addition of Chichkin, who is 6’5” tall and weighs approximately 221 pounds.

As of Monday, the Rebels sit tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 5-9-0-2 record, one point out of a playoff spot.

Sutter said in the last six games, he’s seen strides from his team in the right direction, despite a slow start.

“It’s always a work in progress when you have a new coaching staff. The way we want the team to play some things had to change down here inside the room,” Sutter said.

“It’s tough to be the way you want to be on the ice if off the ice you’re not where you need to be, and the kids have done a great job of that.”

The Western Hockey League trade deadline is set for Jan. 8, 2026, at 6 p.m. Mountain Time.

by Ian Gustafson

Rebels owner Brent Sutter explains trio of trades made

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