Former Red Deer Rebels defenceman Hunter Mayo will play his first game at the Westerner Park Centrium wearing another team's jersey this weekend.
On Saturday, March 8, the Rebels will host Mayo's new team, the Swift Current Broncos, for a Western Hockey League matchup at the Westerner Park Centrium, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
Drafted by the Rebels in the second round of the 2019 WHL Draft, Mayo played 224 games with the club from 2020-2025. He racked up 116 points throughout his Rebels tenure (42 goals and 74 assists), which is the 11th most in franchise history.
Earlier this season, the Rebels shipped the 20-year-old Mayo, as well as 18-year-old winger Trae Wilke, to the Swift Current Broncos in a three-team trade that also included the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Mayo recorded 22 points (11 goals and 11 assists) in 33 games with the Rebels this season before being traded. He has since added 20 points (six goals and 14 assists) in 21 games with the Broncos.
"It's going to be awesome to have Mayo back in the building," said Rebels forward Kalan Lind, who has been with the Rebels since the 2020-21 season.
"He was here for a long time, ever since we were in the bubble (during the COVID-19 pandemic). He was a longtime teammate, but he's on the other side now and we're chasing Swift Current in the standings. It's going to be a big game."
Wilke had a brief stint with the Rebels, especially compared to Mayo. He was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a pair of four-round draft picks. In 38 games with the Rebels, he recorded eight goals and 19 points. Since being traded, Wilke has recorded six goals and 16 points in 22 games.
Red Deer sits in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, while Swift Current is in eighth, which is the final seed for the WHL playoffs. Heading into the weekend, the Rebels are 11 points back of the Broncos. After Saturday's game, Red Deer will have just seven regular season games remaining in the 2024-25 season, including one more matchup against the Broncos in Swift Current on March 12.
Head coach David Struch said he wants his team to stay focused heading into an important weekend for the club.
"Right now we have to worry about ourselves and we have to win hockey games, we have to win our practices. We'll do everything we can to win another hockey game," Struch said.
