Corpus Christi, Texas – The Corpus Christi IceRays made a trade with the Austin Bruins Tuesday, sending defenseman Connor Brust to Austin and acquiring defenseman Nikita Konevych.
“It was a sad day yesterday trading Brusty,” IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “It was one of the hardest days I’ve had as a coach. He’s been with me since Day One and we had a great relationship.”
Konevych was selected by the Tri City Storm in the 2022 Phase II USHL Draft.
From Kalush, Ukraine, Konevych is committed to the University of New Hampshire.
In seven games this season, Konevych collected an assist.
“Nikita is a young defenseman that will come in and help us right away,” Cloutier said. “He’s committed to UNH and is a good skater and had an offensive touch.”
As a sophomore at Chatham High School in New Jersey, Konevych scored 24 goals and added 10 assists for 34 points during the 2022-23 season.
Brust leaves Corpus Christi after posting a goal and 10 assists for 11 points this season in 36 games, and eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 58 games in 2022-23.
The IceRays are currently 12-20-1 for 28 points, in eighth place in the NAHL South Division, six points behind the Odessa Jackalopes for seventh, and nine points behind the Oklahoma Warriors and New Mexico Ice Wolves for fifth.
The IceRays will play a pair of games on the road against the El Paso Rhinos Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. CST at the El Paso County Events Center.
You can watch both games on NAHL TV and listen on Brewster Street Radio.
For more information, visit goicerays.com.
