With the 2020 SJHL Bantam Draft just two days away, the Estevan Bruins have made a trade that sees them lose a draft pick but gain a highly-touted prospect that could potentially join the club as early as next season.
The Bruins have acquired the list rights to forward Caelan Fitzpatrick (’03) from the Battlefords North Stars in exchange for Estevan’s 4th round selection in the 2020 SJHL Bantam Draft.
“Caelan is a solid 200 foot player that plays in all situations that put up really good numbers as a 16-year-old in midget AAA. He is definitely a player we have in our plans for the Centennial Cup year,” expressed Head Coach/GM Jason Tatarnic on the addition of Fitzpatrick. “Our scouting staff was very high on him and that made it an easy decision to make the trade. We are very excited to obtain Caelan’s list rights and we hope to see him in a Bruins uniform in the near future.”
Fitzpatrick starred in the SMHL for his hometown Moose Jaw Warriors in his rookie season in the AAA league. Fitzpatrick was better than a point-per-game player with 45 points (16G, 29A) in 44 regular season games, good for third in team scoring. Fitzpatrick then finished tied for the team-lead in playoff scoring with 10 points (1G, 9A) in 6 games, as the Warriors were a perfect 6-0 in playoffs before COVID-19 cancelled the remainder of the season. Fitzpatrick also suited up for his first SJHL game and tallied his first SJHL point in 2019/20, as he earned an assist in a 3-2 Battlefords win over the Melville Millionaires on January 25th.
Fitzpatrick was also a key forward for the Warriors in the 2019 Mac’s Midget AAA tournament in Calgary, as the 16-year-old tallied 5 points (2G, 3A) in 4 round robin games. Fitzpatrick then scored twice in the Warriors’ 4-1 quarter-final win, and was in on both goals (1G, 1A) as Moose Jaw lost the Mac’s championship game 6-2 to the Calgary Buffaloes.
The addition of Fitzpatrick marks the third transaction made under new Head Coach/GM Jason Tatarnic since he took over on May 6th, 2020. On May 25th, the Bruins signed Mason Beck (F – ’02) to a letter of commitment and on June 2nd, Shawn Gallant (F – ’02) signed with the Estevan Bruins. Earlier this offseason, the Bruins also signed Matt Millette (D – ’02), Lucius Schmidt (F – ’02), and Eric Clark (G – ’02).
In regards to the SJHL Draft set for this Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm, the Bruins now have five selections following the trade for Fitzpatrick with one pick in each of the six rounds, excluding round three. The Bruins are set to pick 7th overall with their first selection.