While it wasn't the spectacle it has been in years past, the NHL trade deadline saw three state products, including one former Badger moved to new teams.Brad Winchester was the former Badger moved on deadline day. The Madison native was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Anaheim Ducks for a third round draft pick.
Winchester was apparently targeted over the summer by the Ducks but chose to re-sign with St. Louis according to the Orange County Register. “He plays both ends of the ice and he plays hard,” Ducks GM Bob Murray said. “We tried to get him last year in free agency and he wanted to go back to St. Louis. I told him, ‘Now we got you.’”
The former second round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Winchester has established himself as a rugged two way player. Winchester had 86 penalty minutes and 14 points in 57 games for the Blues this season.
The other state native who is an NHL regular that got moved at the deadline was Milwaukee's David Steckel. Steckel was traded Monday along with a second round draft pick from the Washington Capitals to the New Jersey Devils for Jason Arnott.
Steckel, who played his college hockey at Ohio State is currently leading the NHL in faceoff percentage. The 6'7 center may be most famously known as the guy who elbowed Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby in the head during the Winter Classic.
Merrill native Jake Hauswirth was the other state product who was informed that he would be changing teams on Monday. Hauswirth was traded from the Washington Capitals to the Florida Panthers along with a third round pick for Panthers defenseman Dennis Wideman.
Hauswirth, who has spent the past year and a half in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays will most likely start with the Cincinnati Cyclones, also of the ECHL who is Florida's affiliate in the coast.
Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images North America
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