Oil Kings move another player from team that won WHL title as rebuild continues

An offseason of change has carried into the 2022-23 Western Hockey League campaign for the Edmonton Oil Kings as the club announced Wednesday it has made yet another roster move geared towards the future.

Defenceman Logan Dowhaniuk is the latest Oil King to be traded after helping Edmonton capture last season’s WHL championship. The 20-year-old has been sent to the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for 18-year-old forward Nathan Pilling and a third-round draft pick in 2025.

READ MORE: Oil Kings coach impressed by Dowhaniuk’s play in playoff series against Thunderbirds

Dowhaniuk has a goal and nine assists in 24 games so far this season. Pilling has accumulated seven goals and three assists in 23 games with the Warriors.

“We are excited to add Nathan to our group of young forwards,” Oil Kings general manager Kirt Hill said in a post on the team’s website. “He is a big forward who moves well and can play in all situations.

“He has great touch around the net and plays a solid 200-foot game with strong hockey sense.”

Pilling’s grandfather Gregg Pilling played with the Oil Kings organization from 1962 to 1964.

Hill acknowledged the role Dowhaniuk played in last season’s success for the Oil Kings and thanked him for his time with Edmonton.

READ MORE: Edmonton Oil Kings’ overhaul continues as Wiebe among players dealt in 2 trades Monday

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“We watched Logan grow not only as player but a person over the course of his career here in Edmonton and he was a big part of the defence core that helped us capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup last season,” he said.

“He will be missed by the staff and his peers, but we wish him all the best on his chase to capture another league title in Moose Jaw.”

Oil Kings unveil jerseys for 2022 Teddy Bear Toss Game

The Oil Kings’ next home game is this weekend against the Red Deer Rebels.

Saturday’s night’s tilt will also serve as the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss game and on Wednesday the team unveiled the special jerseys its players will wear for the matchup.

This year’s Teddy Bear Toss jersey features a bear wearing a crown on its head and has a fur design on the bottom. In a video posted to the Oil Kings’ website, forward Rhett Melnyk noted “they’re kind of more of an ugly Christmas sweater style.”

READ MORE: 630 CHED Santas Anonymous sees ‘unprecedented’ demand ahead of Christmas

During Saturday’s game, the jerseys will become available in a silent auction with the club saying all net proceeds will go to 630 CHED Santas Anonymous, the Edmonton organization that collects, sorts, packages and delivers toys to over 20,000 children every year.

The annual Teddy Bear Toss sees Oil Kings fans throw new or gently loved bears onto the ice after the Oil Kings score their first goal of the game. The bears then go to 630 CHED Santas Anonymous.

The Oil Kings also tweeted images of the bear jerseys on Wednesday.