RyanKennedy@THNews profile image
Ryan Kennedy
Aug 6, 2015
Partner
RyanKennedy@The Hockey News

The Red Deer Rebels needed to beef up their lineup this year and GM-coach Brent Sutter is already hard at work. The WHL squad just got a commitment from speedy Czech Michael Spacek and traded for the rights to Calgary Flames prospect Brandon Hickey.

Memorial Cup hosts land Michael Spacek, chase Brandon HickeyMemorial Cup hosts land Michael Spacek, chase Brandon Hickey

The way Red Deer finished the 2014-15 campaign – a five-game, first-round loss to Medicine Hat – you'd be forgiven for wondering how they would turn things around in time to be tough hosts of the Memorial Cup this year. But in a flash of activity, GM and coach Brent Sutter has begun to shake the foundations.

The most concrete move was securing a commitment from Michael Spacek, the gifted right winger from the Czech Republic. Spacek, who is in Alberta right now as part of the Czech's world junior summer camp squad, was taken in the fourth round by the Winnipeg Jets this summer and brings a great combination of speed, vision and deft hands. He spent most of this past year with Pardubice's men's team in the Czech Republic's highest league.

In other Rebels news, Sutter swung a trade to acquire the rights to Calgary Flames prospect Brandon Hickey, who is also in Alberta as part of Canada's WJC camp. A great skater who really built himself up physically as a freshman at Boston University, Hickey was taken in the third round by Calgary in 2014, but already looks like a steal.

But will Hickey leave the Terriers for Red Deer? Sutter only lost a fifth-round pick and two conditional selections to Tri-City in the deal, so it's hard to even call this a gamble – it's a huge win if Hickey comes and a blip if he does not.

Should Hickey come over, the Rebels would then have a pretty potent blueline. Carolina first-rounder Haydn Fleury leads the pack, while Nelson Nogier (another Winnipeg pick) and 2016 prospect Josh Mahura are two others to watch.

Up front, Spacek joins a crew headlined by Colorado first-rounder Conner Bleackley and St. Louis selection Adam Musil. There is still work to be done in Red Deer, but Sutter is off to a running start.

ByJonBailey@THNews profile image
Bailey
Rmastey@THNew profile image
Mastey
AndreLeal@THNews profile image
Leal
Avry@TheHN profile image
Lewis-McDougall
AdamProteau@TheHN profile image
Proteau
JonathanTovell@TheHN profile image
Tovell
CarolSchram@THNews profile image
Schram
JulianGaudio@THNew profile image
Gaudio
Wenonah@THNews profile image
Carchidi
LyleRichardson@THNews profile image
Richardson
jimparsons@THNew profile image
Parsons
MikeInBuffalo@THNew profile image
Augello
CruikshankEric@THNews profile image
Cruikshank
JasonChen@THNew profile image
Chen
TheHockeyNewsRTB@THNews profile image
Hockey
Michael_Traikos@THN profile image
Traikos
jaketye@RTBIO profile image
Tye
TonyFerrari@THNews profile image
Ferrari
Ken_Campbell27@THNews profile image
Campbell
RyanKennedy@THNews profile image
Kennedy
JoeyMacHockey@THNews profile image
McDonald
AnthonyFava19@THNews profile image
Fava
sammi@THN profile image
Silber
Graeme@Round profile image
Graeme
BrianDessart@THNews profile image
T.