Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Caden Price was added to the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the trade deadline for a reason, but this season has been quite the ride for the Saskatoon product.
“Obviously, it’s been a whirlwind of a year for me, starting in Kelowna, getting a chance to play for Canada (at the IIHF world junior championship), then getting traded off to Lethbridge here at the trade deadline,” says Price, a former Saskatoon Contact who played his youth hockey in Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association’s Wild zone.
“It’s been a whirlwind of emotion, but I think we’ve got a great group. I’m really excited to be here.”
Lethbridge finished the regular season with a 42-21-3-2 record, which placed them third in the Western Hockey League’s Central Division.
The Hurricanes will enter the WHL Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 4 seed against the No. 5 Brandon Wheat Kings in the opening round.
“Caden was really good for us at world juniors,” says Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt, who also served as GM for Canada’s world junior squad earlier this year.
“I really liked his game there. We felt he tried to do too much when he was in Kelowna, and that affected his game. But once he was with us at world juniors, I thought he played a real smart and honest game. To me, he’s a bit of a Swiss Army knife. He’s good at a lot of things and not really great at anything, but he’s really good at everything. That, to me, is really important.”
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Price was taken in the third round, 83rd overall, of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected in the second round, 30th overall, of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft by the Kelowna Rockets.
He was acquired, via trade, from Kelowna in exchange for 2007-born defenceman Will Sharpe, the WHL playing rights to 2007-born goaltender Harrison Boettiger, a first-round draft pick in 2026, a fourth-round pick in 2025, a fifth-round draft pick in 2027, a sixth-round draft pick in 2025 and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.
“His legs are really good,” Anholt says of Price. “He skates well. He can beat forwards up the ice. He can be efficient on breakouts. He’s a really important add for us, and we’ve got to get more out of him … to get him ready for playoffs.”
While the playoff-opponent Wheaties feature Saskatoon’s Roger McQueen, Nolan Flamand and Nigel Boehm, the Hurricanes feature nine players from Saskatchewan, in total. They include Price, captain Noah Chadwick, Brayden Yager, Logan McCutcheon and Kash Andresen from Saskatoon, Carsen Adair from Clavet, Trae Johnson from Martensville, Anthony Wilson from Swift Current and Chase Petersen from Mossbank.
Price, Yager and Wilson were all acquired prior to the trade deadline.
“I’m pretty confident in the group,” said Price, who had nine goals and 34 assists for 43 points in 57 games this season.
“I worked with (Anholt) at the world juniors so I had connection with him, and obviously, a lot of Saskatchewan-born players here. I was really excited to come in. To be able to know and have relationships with some guys already makes the switch from teams easier.
“I love the group so far.”
In Lethbridge, Price is surrounded by Saskatoon-area players.
“It’s awesome,” he admits. “We’ve created a good bond within the room. It’s made it easier. I’ve played with, or against, most of the Sask. guys throughout, so you know all of them to start with. It creates for a good bond and good memories, a tighter, closer-knit team which is a big part of the on-ice performance.”
Price played with Chadwick and Yager on the Contacts. He also played minor hockey with McCutcheon. He played against Johnson in minor hockey and with him in spring hockey.
He played on a team with Cash Andresen’s brother, Reid Andresen, growing up.
“A lot of those guys, I have connections with,” points out Price, who has NHL aspirations as he continues to develop under the Kraken’s watchful eyes.
Of course, there is always the chance Lethbridge could meet up with Saskatoon in the Eastern Conference playoffs, after nearly playing each other in the opening round.
Price says he “loves it” every time he plays in Saskatoon.
“The more time I get to come home, and spend time with my family and get a couple of home-cooked meals — I love that,” he says. “Obviously the Blades have good fans in the playoffs. It would be awesome. It’s a good rink. I’ve only played it in (twice) but I like it. It would be great.”
