In exchange, the Raiders parted with forward Ty Meunier, a second round pick in 2026, and a conditional fourth round pick in 2027.
“I like everything about his game,” Raiders GM said when asked about Gorzynski. “I think he’s a 200 foot player. He’s got a rocket for a shot. He goes to tough areas. He’s an all-situation player, and we were really excited to pick him up. We think he compliments our group.”
The 18-year-old Gorzynski was the 15th overall pick in the 2022 U.S. Priority Draft. He was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL draft, and has 13 goals and 16 assists in 27 games with the Hitmen this season.
“We think he can play with anybody in our line-up,” Hunt said. “That will be a coaching challenge to figure out the best chemistry moving forward, but I think we’re a good team. We’re a real good team now. I think we’re a better team today.”
Ty Meunier is the biggest piece headed the other way. The former seventh overall pick from the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft scored 14 goals and added 15 assists in 68 games his rookie season. This year, the St. Albert, Alta. product has six goals and nine assists in 29 games.
“I wanted to be more patient with Ty,” Hunt said. “I think more of this is a little bit of his frustration—maybe a sophomore jinx, maybe be wanted more than we could give him now or maybe that he’d earned now, but you know what? I think this is a good move for him too.
“Calgary is building around that age group. They’ve got a real good group of young players, him included. We’re real appreciative for what Ty’s done for us and we certainly wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
Hitmen GM Garry Davidson said they were happy to get a player of Meuneir’s calibre.
“Ty is a skilled player who will be a great addition to our young forwards,” Davidson said in a press release. “We believe he has potential to grow into an impactful offensive player for the Hitmen both this year and beyond.”
The Raiders are on a five-game winning streak and currently sit on top of the WHL’s Eastern Conference. Their 48 points are one more than the second place Medicine Hat Tigers. The Raiders also have two games in hand on the Central Division leaders.
When asked if there was any hesitancy to tinker with a roster having so much success, Hunt said they evaluate everything, but couldn’t pass up a chance to add Gorzynski.
“This is a bigger, stronger kid … and a guy we think just gets us that much closer to the ultimate goal,” Hunt said. “Certainly you’ve got to play the games and we’ve got a lot of hockey to play, but we’re excited about the move.”
The Raiders are back on the ice Wednesday night when they take on the Regina Pats at the Brandt Centre in Regina. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
News and Notes:
• The Gorzynski trade was the second deal of the day for the Calgary Hitmen. They also acquired Regina Pats leading scorer Julien Maze in exchange for a pair of third round picks.
