Jaden Lipinski's return to the Vancouver Giants created a problem of too many 20-year-old players, one the team solved by trading 2004-born forward Kyren Gronick to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a future WHL Prospects Draft selection.
Giants had to cut down to three 20-year-olds after Jaden Lipinski was returned to the club by the American Hockey League's Calgary Wranglers two weeks ago.
WHL teams are allowed a maximum of three overage players.
"This is the most difficult part of junior hockey," Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta commented.
"Kyren was a reliable player for us and he grew into a leader during his time as a Giant. He was a popular teammate and we are glad he is able to continue playing in the Western Hockey League."
Gronick played 109 regular season games for the Giants from 2022-24, recording 15 goals and 43 assists for 58 points. He also played in nine playoff games, tallying three points (1G-2A).
In his debut as a Seattle player on Friday, Nov. 1, Gronick had a goal and an assist, but the Thunderbirds fell, 5-4, in a shootout to the Edmonton Oil Kings.
The remaining three 20-year-olds on the Giants roster are Lipinski, Connor Levis, and Tyson Zimmer.
