Matthew Kondro is staying in the Western Hockey League.
That likelihood became clear Saturday morning when the Red Deer Rebels traded NHL-signed goaltender Chase Wutzke to the Moose Jaw Warriors, paving the way for Kondro to cement one of the two goaltending jobs with the Rebels.
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Kondro, who turns 18 in December, had been called up to the WHL from the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats on two occasions this season. His strong play at both levels enabled the rebuilding Rebels to trade their greatest asset — Minneosta Wild prospect Wutzke — to the Warriors in a WHL deal involving multiple high draft choices.
For his part, Kondro kept on providing strong showings with Red Deer and he had stepped into a leading role even before the Rebels announced the blockbuster trade.
Likewise, his body of work during his short stay with Lloydminster was most impactful. Kondro posted a 6-2 record, along with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
While with the Bobcats this fall, he was named the AJHL’s defensive player of the week in mid-October, and just days later, his name appeared on the NHL Central Scouting’s watch list of candidates under consideration for the 2026 draft.
Kondro tends goal for the Lloydminster Bobcats during AJHL play at the Cenovus Energy Hub, before graduating to the major junior Rebels. John MacNeil – Meridian Source
It’s been a whirlwind few months for Kondro, a St. Albert, Alta., native whom the Bobcats acquired in the August trade that sent forward Wyatt Yule to the Drumheller Dragons.
Kondro opened the regular season in the WHL with a 39-save performance in Red Deer’s 4-1 loss to the Oil Kings in his hometown of Edmonton.
After his latest promotion in late October, Kondro had started three of the Rebels’ next four games through Nov. 1, the day the Wutzke trade was revealed.
Overall, Kondro had a 2-1-1 record with Red Deer, and fashioned a 2.26 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage, going into the Rebels’ game against the Oil Kings on Wednesday (Nov. 5) in Edmonton.
In trading Wutzke and a second-round 2026 draft selection to Moose Jaw, Red Deer received a first-round pick and a third-round choice in 2026, along with a second-rounder in 2027, a fourth in 2028 and a conditional fourth in 2029.
Kondro was an eighth-round selection of Red Deer in the 2022 WHL prospects draft. His goalie partner with the Rebels is 18-year-old Peyton Shore, who is in his second season with the WHL club.
Bobcats general manager Nigel Dube wished Kondro well and noted it had become increasingly evident that the up-and-coming goalie would stick in the WHL.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Dube said. “Matty came in and did a great job for us and was 6-2. He got his reps in and built his confidence back up, got listed on NHL Central Scouting while with us, and went back up to Red Deer (and continued to stand out).
“They got quite the haul in the Wutzke trade. We knew that was going to happen. I think everybody in the hockey world knew that was going to happen.
“It was just a matter of what time it was going to happen.”
Now that it has happened, the Bobcats have passed their goaltending torch to Ben Polhill, 19, and Sam Madgett, 18.
Polhill arrived about a month ago and has started all three of Lloyd’s games since Kondro left town. Polhill has won the past two contests, including his first AJHL shutout in Friday’s 3-0 victory over the Drayton Valley Thunder, and this Tuesday he was named the league’s defensive player of the week. The Cochrane, Alta., native leads the AJHL with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage.
“Benny did a great job last night and he’s doing a great job every day at practice, too,” Dube said Saturday.
“Both he and Sam take great reps and work hard every day in practice. They’ve worked hard whether we’ve had three (goaltenders) here or whether we’ve had two. We’ve had Sam here since August. He’s done a great job and has put in the work away from the rink as well, so that’s all you can ask of these players.”
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