Parker, Schuurman Play Key Role in Warriors' Championship
July 15, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
On Oct. 5, 2023, the Moose Jaw Warriors swung a trade that ended up paying big dividends on the team's run to its first Western Hockey League Championship.
In the trade, the Warriors landed 19-year-old forward Brayden Schuurman and 19-year-old defenceman Kalem Parker. Both players would play key roles in the team lifting the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
"They both came as advertised," Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said.
Schuurman and Parker came to the Warriors without a game of playoff experience with the Victoria Royals, but both players ended up showing their big game capabilities over the rest of the regular season and 20 games in the post-season.
"Parker played in all situations, he brought character to our club and Schuurman was Mr. clutch for us on our third line," Ripplinger said.
"Adding a top-two defencemen and a top-six forward early in the year for us was very crucial. We wanted to start building chemistry and show our players and fans we were all in."
Parker played big minutes on the Warriors' top defensive pairing, while Schuurman scored the two biggest goals in the organization's history, scoring in overtime in Game 3 of the WHL Championship Series and adding the title clinching goal in Game 4.
"It's something you remember for the rest of your life," Schuurman said. "Being able to contribute in that way was really special for me."
Parker and Schuurman had played their entire WHL careers together with the Royals, starting out during the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020-21.
Schuurman said it was a bit of a shock initially when he was traded.
"Being a B.C. boy and playing in B.C. my whole life and then now moving a little further away from home, but I was really excited to get going in Moose Jaw, knowing that it was a good team."
With the trade, Parker - a Clavet product - was able to move closer to home.
He said capping off the season with a WHL Championship was an unbelievable run.
"To join this group of guys and winning a championship, it was so great," Parker said.
"Any time you get traded to a top contender, you're pretty happy about it and I fit in with the boys pretty quickly."
The Minnesota Wild prospect showed why the Warriors targeted him in the early season trade. He played big minutes alongside Captain Denton Mateychuk on the Warriors' top defensive pairing.
Parker finished with a career-best six goals and 42 points in 65 games during the regular season and then added two goals and nine points in 20 playoff games.
He said he felt his game evolved over the course of the season.
"I worked a lot at the defensive side of my game and I thought that improved drastically," Parker said.
Schuurman rediscovered the scoring touch that he showed as a 17-year-old, finishing with 20 goals and 48 points in 66 games.
He would take his game to another level, playing a shutdown role in the playoffs, while also chipping in with seven goals and nine points in 20 games.
"As the year went on and getting into the playoffs, I really found my stride," Schuurman said.
Both players will be returning to Moose Jaw next season for their final seasons in the WHL.
"Leadership is going to be really important moving forward for me," Schuurman said. "I pride myself on being a leader with my voice and leading by example as well, so I'm looking forward to some more of that."
The Warriors return to the ice coming up at the end of August for training camp.
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