The Kelowna Rockets bolstered their blueline on Thursday, Nov. 14.
They have acquired 2006-born defenceman Nate Corbet from the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for 2005-born forward Ethan Neutens as well as 2025 third round pick and a 2028 eighth round pick in the WHL Prospects Draft.
“For starters, Ethan was a really solid young man. He has a skill set that very few players have but he just hasn’t been able to get going here,” said Rockets President and General Manager Bruce Hamilton. “I honestly believe a change of scenery will be good for him. There are very few players that are his size, skate the way he does and have the skill set he does. It’s just a matter of him getting going. He was at Los Angeles’ camp so the tools are there.”
Neutens has a goal and an assist in 12 games for the Rockets this season. Meanwhile, Corbet brings a bit more size to the Rockets defensive group.
“I needed to get somebody that we had a little bit more bite and Nate Corbet brings that to us. He’s a very aggressive player, we wanted that aggressiveness and size," said Hamilton. "He’s 18-years-old too, so it fits right into where we want to go. We’ve been working on this for a long time, well over a month, and it’s exciting to get it done.”
In 71 career WHL games, Corbet has 10 points (four goals, six assists) and 121 penalty minutes. He is expected to join the team in Prince George on Friday ahead of their two-game weekend set against the Cougars.
