(Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers)

By Victor Kaisar

WHL Trade Deadline

Blazers acquire 18-year-old forward Ty Coupland from Red Deer for draft picks

Jan 8, 2026 | 7:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers have acquired 18-year-old forward Ty Coupland from the Red Deer Rebels for a pair of fourth round draft picks.

The Blazers gave up a fourth rounder in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft acquired from the Vancouver Giants in the Connor Levis trade and its own fourth rounder in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft.

Coupland, a five-foot-11 forward from North Vancouver, has 20 points (nine goals and 11 assists) in 33 games with the Rebels this season. He has 88 points (39 goals and 49 assists) in 161 career games split between Red Deer and the Swift Current Broncos.

The acquisition comes one day after the Blazers traded 18-year-old defenceman Kayd Ruedig to the Everett Silvertips for a first and a fourth round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft. The Blazers also released 18-year-old defenceman Evan Markel, who has signed with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles.

Both those moves on the blueline were made after defenceman Harrison Brunicke was reassigned to the Blazers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. General Manager Shaun Clouston told CFJC the Blazers did not move Brunicke ahead of the deadline following a directive from the Penguins.

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Clouston joined CFJC Today’s Marty Hastings for a live interview to recap the deadline and offer some insight on the moves made ahead of the WHL Trade Deadline Thursday (Jan. 8).

The Blazers currently have 14 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders on the roster, with forwards Jordan Keller and Vit Zahejsky set to return to the lineup this month after injury.

Also on Thursday, the Seattle Thunderbirds acquired 18-year-old Kamloops native Caden Cail from the Vancouver Giants for 18-year-old defenceman Jaxson Pawlenchuk.

Cail, a six-foot-two, 195-pound winger, has one assist in 16 games this season – though he has seen limited playing time due to a lower-body injury. Cail was signed by the Giants in Sept. 2023, and he’s into his second season in the WHL.

You can recap all of the trades made on WHL Deadline Day here.