2 Mooseheads won the world juniors on Sunday. Now they've been traded

Fresh off their gold medal-winning efforts with Team Canada at the world junior hockey tournament in the Czech Republic, Jared McIsaac and Raphael Lavoie have been traded by the Halifax Mooseheads.

The trades were rumoured for weeks and could not be announced while the two were playing overseas for Team Canada. The trades were officially announced Monday, the day of the league's trading deadline, which was noon ET.

McIsaac, a defenceman from Truro, N.S., who is a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, has been sent to the Moncton Wildcats for four draft picks. Lavoie, an Edmonton Oilers second-round pick who set a Halifax franchise record last year with 20 playoff goals, has been sent to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens for four draft picks.

"It's difficult for sure," said Cam Russell, Halifax's general manager. "You bring these kids in when they're 16 and you work with them and you grow them and we've been through a lot together."

Surprisingly, Halifax did not trade their top goaltender, Alexis Gravel, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick.

With the trade deadline now in the books, Halifax traded three of their best defencemen and their top three forwards.

Forwards Maxim Trepanier and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, and defencemen Walter Flower and Patty Kyte were traded away in earlier deals that brought more draft picks to the Mooseheads as they work through a rebuilding process.

The players traded away were key components in the Mooseheads lineup last season when they hosted the Memorial Cup. The Mooseheads made it to the championship game, but lost to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

They'll now have another shot at winning the championship playing for top contenders.

"It's a bit of a bittersweet time, but at the end of the day we're very excited for them and for their futures," said Russell.

Russell said the trades will give some of the younger Mooseheads a better chance to develop during the second half of the season.

On defence, with Kyte, Flower and McIsaac all traded — and Justin Barron still out of the lineup dealing with blood clots — more ice time will be given to 16-year-old prospects Cameron Whynot of Kentville, N.S., and Keegan Hunt of Moncton, N.B.

Another 16-year-old, Cole Foston of Beaver Bank, N.S., will get more ice time with the forwards. The same can be said for 17-year-old Sonny Kabatay of Membertou, N.S., and newly acquired Ozzie King of Cow Bay, N.S.

"This is a great opportunity to show us what they can do and improve," said Russell. "The best way to improve is to get the ice time and play and that's what's going to happen with these guys."

The Mooseheads next game is Friday night when they host Chicoutimi. Lavoie and Kyte are expected to be in the lineup to play against their former team.

Cape Breton also announces trade

The Cape Breton Eagles also announced a trade today as they picked up Tyler Hinam of Cole Harbour, N.S., from Rouyn-Noranda. Hinam has 38 points in 38 games this season and brings lots of playoff experience to the Eagles.

Going to the Huskies is Shaun Miller, a veteran forward from Enfield, N.S.

Prior to the holiday break, the Eagles traded for Acadie-Bathurst Titan captain Shawn Element.

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