With the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline under a week away, the Soo Greyhounds made a move on Friday afternoon.
The team has acquired 19-year-old forward Jaden Peca from the Barrie Colts in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.
A native of Woodbridge, Ont., Peca comes to the Greyhounds after scoring six goals and 16 points in 35 games this season with the Colts.
A former sixth round pick of the Colts, Peca posted career highs offensively last season with 16 goals and 47 points in his second full season in Barrie.
“Jaden’s a talented, hard-working forward that can play with an edge,” Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis said in a release.
“(Last season) he played in all situations for (Barrie) and that’s the role we’re hoping for him to jump in on our side as well.”
The 5-foot-11, 168-pound winger has 23 goals and 70 points in 155 career OHL games.
With the Greyhounds in London Friday to face the Knights in the second game of a three-game road trip, Peca’s status for the game had not been determined.
Peca adds to a small group of 1999-born players on the Greyhounds roster that would be eligible to return as overage players next season.
The group also includes Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost, Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta and veteran defenceman Anthony DeMeo.
For the Colts, the deal comes as the team is in the midst of moving veteran players.
The team moved veteran defenceman Joey Keane to the London Knights last week and traded former captain Justin Murray to the Saginaw Spirit earlier this month.
The team also made a second deal on Friday as the Colts acquired overage defenceman Matthew Timms from the London Knights in exchange for a conditional 15th round pick in 2020.
Around the league on Friday, the London Knights acquired overage forward Kevin Hancock from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for Andrew Perrott and a third round pick in 2019 (originally Sudbury’s).