Thunderbirds trade Calvin Spencer to Swift Current

The Seattle Thunderbirds have traded forward Calvin Spencer to the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for a conditional sixth-round choice in the 2017 Bantam Draft, the team announced Tuesday.

Trading Spencer, 19, helps clear space up front for some of the T-Birds’ up-and-coming young forwards. After dealing Lane Pederson to the Red Deer Rebels earlier this month, Seattle has now cleared up two forward spots, which at this point look like they could be filled by 16-year-olds Matthew Wedman and Wyatt Bear.

In two seasons with Seattle, Spencer played in 99 regular-season games, registering 19 points on eight goals and eleven assists with 93 penalty minutes. The Brooklyn Park, Minn. native also participated in six postseason contests over the last two years, adding an additional 4 penalty minutes.

A positive presence in the locker room, Spencer had progressed as a two-way forward, but appeared to be slated for a bottom-six role again this upcoming season. At 19 years old, it seemed that it would be more valuable to Seattle to give those minutes to a rookie who will have more time to develop in the league, and would also give Spencer the opportunity to receive more ice time in Swift Current.

In a press release on the Broncos’ website, coach and general manager Mark Lamb described Spencer as an “aggressive player who is good on the forecheck,” adding that he “sticks up for his teammates and will make (the Broncos) tougher to play against.”

Spencer’s physical presence and willingness to crash and bang down low will be missed by Seattle, but ultimately the trade should benefit both teams and the player in the long run.