The Swift Current Broncos altered the look of their 2023-24 roster with an August trade that brought local defenseman Ryan McCleary back to Swift Current.
In return, the Broncos sent forwards Josh Davies and Tyson Yaremko to the Portland Winterhawks in a deal that also brought four draft picks to the Broncos. The Broncos received a 2027 sixth round pick, as well as a conditional fourth round pick in 2024, a conditional sixth round pick in 2025, a conditional second round pick in 2027, and a conditional 2027 fifth round pick.
McCleary, the son of former Broncos captain Trent McCleary, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021. The 6’3’’ blueliner registered 13 goals and 18 assists in 66 games last season. He has also appeared in 20 playoff games over the past two seasons in Portland.
Davies is a Florida Panthers prospect who was drafted in the sixth round in 2022. He had 79 points in 149 WHL games. He was fifth on the Broncos last season with 20 goals and led the team with 131 penalty minutes.
Yaremko, who turned 18 on Tuesday, was one of the top players in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League last season with 63 points in 41 games with the Saskatoon Blazers. He was a fourth round pick of the Broncos in 2020 and made his WHL debut with one game during the 2021-22 season.
The Broncos could now have five 2003-born skaters vying for three overage spots this season. They had traded for forward Tyson Laventure on May 29 from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Broncos finished last season with three 2003-born players on the roster with defenseman Adam McNutt and forwards Braeden Lewis and Caleb Wyrostok.
