On August 27th, 2017, the Crusaders made a trade to bring in 1997-born defenceman Brendan Kallis from the Steinbach Pistons on the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in exchange for future considerations.
Kallis, a St Albert native, had plenty of experience in playing the AJHL after spending time with the Lloydminster Bobcats, Drayton Valley Thunder, and Grande Prairie Storm. The 6 foot 1 defenceman had actually started out his junior career with the Crusaders, playing one game for the organization during the 2013/14 season. In that game – played against the Calgary Canucks – Kallis grabbed his first Junior A point, tallying an assist on a Caleb Belter goal late in the third period.
“(Kallis) is a solid defenceman that is a very good defender in his own end and can add some offence,” said Crusaders general manager Kyle Chase at the time of the trade. “His leadership will be his biggest asset to a young defence corp.”
Now long after being acquired, the veteran defenceman was named the captain of the organization for the 2017/18 season. He represented the team at the highest standard with his classy yet hard-nosed play on the ice and was one of the first players to put his name down for community events.
Kallis would wrap up his final junior campaign with 23 points (2 goals, 21 assists) in 60 regular season games, and despite only playing for the team for one full season he has left a lasting impression throughout the organization.