Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Eric Van Impe was moved to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Thursday (File Photo)

By Scott Roblin

Tigers Trade

Tigers deal Van Impe to Seattle, finalize overage situation

Oct 7, 2021 | 5:16 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Blueliner Eric Van Impe is moving on from the Medicine Hat Tigers organization, as the club has solidified their veteran group for the 2021-22 WHL season.

Van Impe was traded to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Thursday afternoon in exchange for third and fourth round picks in the 2021 WHL Draft, the odd man out in the Tigers’ 20-year-old plans.

Playing 151 career regular season games in Medicine Hat, Van Impe was acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Spokane Chiefs for Zach Fischer in 2017.

Over that span, Van Impe grew into a prominent top-four defenceman for the Tigers and posted 10 goals and 36 points over four seasons.

Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins in a statement said this move was one he didn’t want to make.

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“It’s the worst part of the job when you have to part ways with good people,” said Desjardins. “Eric has been a big part of our team on and off the ice and definitely would not have been moved without the 20-year-old rule, we wish him all the best in Seattle.”

Van Impe’s departure leaves forwards Lukas Svejkovsky and Corson Hopwo, and defenceman Daniel Baker as Medicine Hat’s three overagers for the 2021-22 campaign.

Starting the season off with a 0-2 record, the Tigers are in Red Deer on Friday night to battle the Rebels at 7:00 pm.