More a matter of where, rather than if…

Kamloops native and World Junior defenseman Sawyer Mynio is on the move across the Rockies.

The Seattle Thunderbirds have dealt him to the Calgary Hitmen as part of a large-scale trade finalized on Saturday morning.

Calgary gets a talented 19 year old Vancouver Canucks draft pick, but did have to pay quite heavily for him.

The return for Mynio includes a pair of 1^st round picks — all part of a six-piece package going to Seattle.

One of the players involved in the deal is Kamloops Minor Hockey product Sawyer Mayes of Salmon Arm.

The 17 year-old forward played under the Thompson Blazers’ U-15 to U-18 development program, and is in the midst of his 2nd full season in the WHL, with six points in 31 games as a fourth-line center on a talented Hitmen team.

Calgary also moved 18-year old defenseman Linden Burrett to Seattle, along with their first and fourth picks in this summer’s draft, along with their first and fourth in 2026.

Sawyer Mynio is fresh off Team Canada’s disappointing run at the World Juniors in Ottawa.

The NHL-signed, 3rd round pick of the Canucks joins a talented Hitmen team that has all the right ingredients for a long run through the playoffs.

The Hitmen current hold the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference and Central Division at .629 through the first half of the season.

However, they are locked into a 1st place tie in points right now with Saskatoon and Medicine Hat.

Only 5 points separates 1st from 8th in the East as of today.

Everett continues to run away with the Western Conference at the moment, with a 12 point lead over Spokane, and a 13 point spread between themselves and BC-Division leading Prince George.

Seattle gives up Mynio after he began to play an increasingly important role on the team which went all the way to the WHL title two seasons ago as a 17 year old.

That included playing in front of his home town at the Memorial Cup in Kamloops.

Mynio has also had a taste of professional hockey, being called up briefly to the Abbotsford Canucks for one game this past season.

Mynio was named Seattle’s co-captain during the off-season, but was hurt early in the campaign.

He’s only played 18 games in the WHL thus far, but is better than point-per-game, with 5 goals and 14 assists to his name as he makes his way east to put on a Hitmen jersey.

Mynio could be in action for Calgary as early as tomorrow, as Calgary entertains the Regina Pats.

Failing that, he’s all-but-certain to be in the line-up for Calgary next Friday in a critical match-up with Saskatoon.

Seattle, currently at the bottom of the WHL’s Western Conference standings, is not expected to have either of their new pieces in the line-up this Saturday in Prince George against the Cougars.

That’s the 2nd of a back-to-back match-up in Prince George between the two teams, with the T-Birds upending the Cougars 3-1 on Friday, without Mynio in the line-up.

He was a healthy scratch as Seattle and Calgary put the final touches on his trade.