Blazers preparing for life without Brunicke: ‘It’s trending toward he’s not coming back’

Injured overage defenceman Rhett Ravndahl is likely to return to the lineup some time in the next two weeks.

“What it means is there will be some guys in and out of the lineup, which I think is fair and actually a better situation for a lot of younger players that are used to playing 30-some games a season, not 68,” Clouston said.

“It slots players into maybe more comfortable matchups, more comfortable minutes. And I think it’s potentially much better for development when players have a chance… to actually be in and out of the lineup to watch a game, do an extra workout and get to be fresh when they do get their chance.”

On Monday, the Blazers acquired Reudig and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft from the Portland Winterhawks in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 draft.

“I was pretty shocked,” said Reudig, who had four goals and 22 points in 64 games last season with the Winterhawks. “We had a good team in Portland, but I think it just wasn’t the right fit for me and they knew that, so yeah, I’m excited to be here now.”

Last Friday, the Blazers traded a conditional eighth-round draft pick in 2026 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for Olsen.

Olsen, who is committed to play for the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks next season, toiled in the B.C. Hockey League during the 2024-2025 campaign, with stints in Salmon Arm and Spruce Grove.

A rule change that allows CHL players to maintain NCAA eligibility made it possible for Olsen to the jump to the WHL in time for this season and he cracked the Hurricanes’ roster out of training camp.

“I’m a little shocked, but very happy with how it turned out,” Olsen said of the trade to Kamloops. “It was going really well and then all of a sudden I didn’t play a couple of games, so I kind of expected that something was going on.”

Olsen had two goals and 10 points in 48 BCHL games last season.

“I’m a two-way defenceman,” he said. “I take care of the D-zone first and then I like to skate with the puck and make plays.”

Reudig and Olsen were raised in Humboldt, Sask.

“Every second year of minor hockey we’d play on the same team and I went over to his house a couple times growing up,” Olsen said. “Yeah, mini-sticks.”

Brunicke has played six regular season games with the Penguins. If he plays 10, the first year of his pro contract will be activated.

He will remain eligible to return to the WHL if the contract is activated.

“I just think they haven’t made a final decision,” Clouston said of the Penguins. “There’s lots of different options, but we’ll reach out again here soon and see if we can get a little bit more information.”

BACK IN ACTION

The Blazers (5-5-0-1) are scheduled to host the Medicine Hat Tigers (7-4-0-0) on Friday at Sandman Centre.

Game time is 7:00 p.m.

by Marty Hastings

Blazers preparing for life without Brunicke: ‘It’s trending toward he’s not coming back’

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