The Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League announced Tuesday that they have signed Lloydminster Lancers’ captain Rhett Romanchuk.
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The 17-year-old Romanchuk has been a tower of strength for the U18 AAA Lancers this season, scoring nine goals and 32 points in 31 games.
The almost six-foot-four, 190-pound Romanchuk was the top-scoring defenceman in the AEHL going into Wednesday night’s action. Edmonton Junior Oilers Blue rearguard Nathan Guenther, with 31 points, was just one point behind Romanchuk, who is from Lloydminster and Dewberry.
Ryan Gibson, the general manager of the junior A Klippers, welcomed Romanchuk to the organization.
“Rhett is a player our staff did a great job identifying and tracking early in the season,” Gibson said in a news release. “He is a long, mobile defender who is going to help our team at both ends of the ice.
“It is hard to find players that have the combination of size, skating ability and IQ that Rhett possesses. He plays a style of game that we want our defencemen to play.
“Rhett had multiple options when it came down to choosing where he wanted to play his junior hockey, and he ultimately chose Kindersley as the program he wanted to play for and develop with. That is very special for us as a staff.”
Romanchuk had been practising with the junior A Lloydminster Bobcats this season, during which he was also called up to play with the junior B Vermilion Tigers.
“I was immediately intrigued by Kindersley, due to the culture, development opportunity, competitiveness and a great history of moving players on to the next level.” Romanchuk said in the Klippers’ news release.
“It was an opportunity that me and my family knew would help me develop my skill at the junior level right away.”
Kindersley also announced the signing of a hometown forward, Austin Schafer, who plays
U18 AAA with the Saskatoon Contacts. He has 17 goals and 30 points in 29 games with the Contacts this season.
In the meantime, both Romanchuk and Schafer remain with their respective U18 AAA teams for the rest of those teams’ 2025-26 seasons.
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