The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned rookie forward Dylan Guenther to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL) according to a press release from the team.

The 19-year-old rookie posted 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 33 games with the Coyotes. Guenther was getting close to accruing a year toward unrestricted free-agent status had he surpassed 40 games this regular season.

Guenther will be joining the Thunderbirds, who currently pose a record of 35-9–1-1 and are among the favourites to advance to the 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops, British Columbia. Guenther was a part of a WHL blockbuster just shortly after winning a gold medal at the World Juniors. The trade involved his rights being dealt from the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Thunderbirds in exchange for eight assets including players and draft picks. He will be joining former Oil Kings teammate and Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop. The two will be looking to repeat as WHL Champions and advance to their second straight Memorial Cup. Last season, Guenther registered 91 points (45 goals, 46 assists) in 59 games and posted 21 points in 16 postseason games. 

Additionally, Guenther will be joining a powerhouse WHL team that including him now has six gold medalists and five first-round draft picks. A few of those names include Brad Lambert (Winnipeg Jets), Kevin Korchinski (Chicago Blackhawks), Nolan Allen (Chicago Blackhawks), and Reid Schaefer (Edmonton Oilers). With the addition of Guenther, it’s clear the Thunderbirds are one of the key favourites to win the WHL this year. Guenther will be joining the team right away, he will have plenty of action as the Thunderbirds’ schedule is jam-packed with multiple games against Kamloops, Tri-City and Portland coming up.