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Saskatoon Blades

Blades Reduce Pending 20-Year-Old List by Swapping Forwards with Royals

June 6, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Saskatoon, SK - The Saskatoon Blades acquired 2005-born forward Ben Riche from the Victoria Royals on Thursday in exchange for pending overage forward Vaughn Watterodt.

Riche was drafted in the second-round (33rd overall) by the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2020. The Bethune, SK product was dealt to the Royals in October 2023 in a blockbuster deal that brought the WHL Champion Warriors defenceman Kalem Parker and forward Brayden Schuurman. Heading west with one assist in five games with the Warriors, Riche set new career highs in goals, assists, and points in the 2023-24 season. The 5-foot-10 centre potted 15 goals and dished 20 helpers in 67 games. Riche's efforts helped the Royals earn a 29-30-5-4 record, bringing the club back to the postseason for the first time since 2019.

"With our 20 year old situation, we felt it was the right time to make a move to ensure Vaughn had a great landing spot in the league with an emerging team," said Blades general manager Colin Priestner, "Getting a skilled 19-year-old centre back in Ben Riche made it a lot easier to do."

The 19-year-old forward has 133 career Western Hockey League (WHL) games under his belt with 23 goals and 33 assists during his tenure. Prior to his time in major junior, Riche was a standout with the Regina Pats Canadians U18 AAA squad in 2020-21 with 32 goals and 28 assists in 44 games.

"Vaughn was a fantastic Blade," said Priestner, "He continuously improved and pushed himself throughout his three years with us and battled through a painful injury all year just to be able to help contribute to our success when a lot of other players would have shut their season down to rehabilitate."

Watterodt returns to the division where his junior hockey career started. The 6-foot winger was drafted in the sixth-round (119th overall) by the Kamloops Blazers in 2019. Watterodt dressed in 18 games with the Blazers before the Blades brought the Rosetown, SK product back home in December 2021. In 173 career games with the Bridge City, the left-handed shot scored 32 goals and 41 assists. Watterodt's best season came in 2022-23 when he netted 18 goals and 34 points in a full 68-game slate. Watterodt thrived in 39 career playoff games with Saskatoon, netting seven goals and 11 assists, bringing the club to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. Watterodt's biggest goal in the playoffs came during Game 7 against the Moose Jaw Warriors this past spring, tying the game in the dying minutes to force overtime inside SaskTel Centre. Watterodt was honoured as the team's community minded player of the year at Wednesday's season ticket holder barbecue, the second straight year he's won the award.

"Vaughn's work in the community and within our dressing room won't be forgotten, and we will be rooting for him to have a great overage season in Victoria."

Saskatoon and Victoria struck a similar deal last summer when the Blades traded pending overage forward at the time Justin Lies to the island for a third-round pick. Lies ultimately decided to finish his junior career in his hometown of Flin Flon with the SJHL's Bombers.

The Blades still have ten pending overage players on their roster but still have time to reduce that number to the league maximum allowed of three.

The entire Blades organization would like to thank Vaughn for his contributions to the city and people of Saskatoon. We wish Vaughn all the best out west!

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