The Bombers completed their third and fourth roster moves this week Thursday, trading two forwards south for cash and a prospect.
The SJHL announced the deals Thursday afternoon, moving Kohle and forward Mason Hartley to teams in the MJHL.
First, the Bombers sent Kohle to Portage in exchange for a player development fee and the CJHL playing rights of 2003-born forward Rhys Raeside.
Kohle came to the Bombers after four WHL seasons split between the Vancouver Giants and Tri-City Americans, but failed to find a foothold with the team, tallying one assist in seven games. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound Cudworth, Sask. native will join a team confirmed to be playing for a national junior A championship next spring - the Portage Terriers will host the Centennial Cup at the Terriers' home arena, Stride Place, next May.
The Bombers received the rights to Raeside, a former MJHL prodigy and WHL player who has not played so far this season. Raeside is not confirmed to be on the Bombers' active roster.
A 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward from Winnipeg, Raeside entered the MJHL as a 17-year-old in 2019 with the Winnipeg Blues and put up 36 points in 47 games, earning himself a five-game call-up with the WHL's Winnipeg Ice. Raeside's rights were sent to the Terriers in 2020 and he scored seven points in eight games with the club before the season was ended due to COVID-19 concerns. Raeside split last season between the Terriers, Blues and WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes.
A second deal by the Bombers will see forward Mason Hartley on his way out. Hartley was traded to the MJHL's Neepawa Titans for a player development fee. The 2004-born forward from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. played three games as a Bomber, registering zero points.
The deals sending Kohle and Hartley south put the Bombers at eight 20-year-old players, back in obeyance with SJHL rules on overage players, and tentatively put the team's active roster at 26 players - one above the roster limit for SJHL clubs that comes into effect later this season.
The Bombers have acquired defender Alex von Sprecken, brought back forward Jacob Vockler and picked up the CJHL rights to forwards Raeside and Jeremy Fortin this week, as well as the player development fees for Kohle and Hartley. The Bombers have sent out Kohle, Hartley, the CJHL rights to defenceman Marek Schneider and a player development fee in those deals.
