The rookie draft may still be weeks away but teams have already begun shuffling their rosters in anticipation of the 2023-24 GWMHL season. Of course, three-quarters of the moves so far have involved the Boston Banshees in some way.
The Banshees got things started by adding Anthony Mantha from the Vancouver Night Train in exchange for defensemen Nate Schmidt and Alexander Alexeyev along with a third round pick. Then, they picked up another winger in Victor Olofsson plus a second rounder from the Great Lakes Pilots for defenseman Alec Regula, two seconds, and a fourth. Finally, Boston flipped centre Michael McLeod to the Baltimore Crab for Mathieu Joseph. The additions of Mantha, Olofsson, and Joseph all help shore up the wings for the Banshees, although they’re surely not done yet.
The biggest trade so far, however, didn’t involve Boston, as the El Dorado Lynx, overloaded on the left side, sent Kyle Connor to the Charleston Chiefs for right winger William Nylander. Nylander, a Charleston staple for seven seasons, put up 33 goals and 71 points in 81 games last year, while the slightly younger Connor scored 28 goals and 59 points in 79 games.
Gump Worsley Memorial Hockey League 