The Red Deer Rebels announced on Tuesday they’ve traded for 19-year-old forward Craig Armstrong from the Prince George Cougars.
The Rebels will send a second-round selection at the 2023 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, a fourth-round selection at the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, and a fifth-round selection at the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
Rebels owner and general manager Brent Sutter said Armstrong has experience in the league and plays hard.
“He’s feisty and we feel like there’s still more for him as far as you know he was a high draft pick in our league… We’ve got a pretty young forward group and we just felt that adding a guy with experience and being an older player can help and will help our team,” Sutter said.
In 2018 Armstrong was selected ninth overall in the WHL Prospects Draft by the Cougars. He is from Crossfield, Alta. and in 155 career regular-season games he had 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points. Last season in the WHL regular season he also produced 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points.
Sutter said they believe if Armstrong gets an opportunity to be put in situations and he is ready to play, he will add to the Rebels and provide aspects they are missing.
“One is hopefully he can give us a little more offence. We think he can be a 20-goal scorer in this league but at the end of the day It’s still going to come down to consistency and him providing that on a daily basis for us and yet the potential is there,” Sutter added.