It took a lot longer than it should have in my opinion, but finally, Trey Fix-Wolansky has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. Fix-Wolansky was drafted by Columbus in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He went in the 7th round, 204th overall. Now, how did we get there?
Born in Edmonton, Alberta May 26th, 1999 Trey has played in the Edmonton minor hockey system for the majority of his life. Trey would play Bantam hockey with the CAC Canadians Bantam AAA team of the AMBHL where he would have 84 points in 64 games. Fix-Wolansky has always been a pass-first player, despite having one of the best shots in the current WHL in my opinion. He often sets up in the “Ovechkin” spot on the PowerPlay and rips off one-timers.
Major Junior
Fix-Wolansky would spend one year in the AJHL with the Spruce Grove Saints putting up 31 points in 51 games before being traded from the team that had his WHL rights (Prince Alberta Raiders) to the team he now captains, the Edmonton Oil Kings. It only cost the Edmonton Oil Kings a fourth-round pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft. A small price to pay for the impact that Trey has had on the Oil Kings since coming here.
He currently has 244 points in 204 WHL games, picking up the pace from his rookie year where he “only” had 54 points in 70 games. Since then, he has 190 points in 134 games. Oddly enough, he’s never made the Canadian World Junior roster. In 2017-2018, he had 89 points in 71 games and was the saving grace of an Edmonton Oil Kings roster that was just flat out abysmal. Even more shocking, at the date of the 2018-2019 selection camp, he was second in the entire CHL in scoring. Maybe a Canadian team that got knocked out in the Quarter Finals would have done better with a player like Trey, who was having the best season of his career.
Trey would enter the 2017 NHL Entry Draft after having a decent campaign in the WHL with 54 points in 70 games. However, he would go undrafted, although at 17 he showed flashes of offensive prowess. I think one of the reason teams were hesitant to draft him is due to his size. He currently sits at 5’7”, 187lbs. While he may be small by the standards of today’s NHL, the emergence of small players in the NHL proves that all you need is the heart.
He wouldn’t let that deter him, though, as the following season, he’d have 89 points in 71 games as mentioned before. He’d enter the 2018 NHL Entry Draft as a D+1 player (Draft year, plus one) and while it looked like he was going to slide through again and his dreams of being an NHL player would take a massive blow. Finally, Columbus would draft him at 204th overall in the 7th round.
Overview
Here we are today. Trey Fix-Wolansky has just signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets, he currently has 101 points in 63 games for the Oil Kings and is looking to take the division-winning Oil Kings to the playoffs for the first time in his career. I know I’m excited to watch him compete at the highest level he’s played at so far in his career as I truly believe he’s a player that loves the big stage. I already have my playoff pass.
I know that the Oilers are king in Edmonton, but if you can make it out to an Oil Kings playoff game to watch this kid before he leaves us for Columbus, do so. He’s a remarkable talent with a wicked shot, but the most noticeable thing? He loves the game; he is always smiling. Just a kid that loves to play hockey.