The Kamloops Blazers were looking to the future on Wednesday after trading one of their defensemen.

According to General Manager Matt Bardsley, the club has traded 19-year-old Luke Zazula to the Tri-City Americans in exchange for a 2nd and a 3rd-round draft pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. 

Photo Credit: Kamloops Blazers

Zazula was originally selected by the Blazers in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He played in 168 games with the club over four seasons, where he scored eight goals to go along with 50 points. 

“Luke has been a Blazer since playing his first game as a 15-year-old so it certainly wasn’t easy to make this move,” said Bardsley. “This will allow rookie defenseman Inaki Baragano and Ethan Brandwood to access to more ice time while allowing Luke to be a key player in Tri-City. It was important that we received a good return for a player like Luke and I believe we did. We wish him all the best in Tri-City and thank him for his contributions while with the Blazers organization."

With the moves, Kamloops' roster now sits at 22 players including two goalies, six defensemen, and 14 forwards.