The Seattle Kraken re-assigned centre Shane Wright to the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League on Friday.
The move comes just one day after Wright captained Canada to the gold medal in the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax.
Wright celebrated his 19th birthday Thursday with a goal during the final against Czechia and finished sixth on the team in scoring with seven points (four goals and three assists) in seven games.
"We're very proud of Shane's performance at the World Juniors, helping captain Team Canada to a gold medal," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. "He has a bright NHL career ahead of him with the Kraken and now has an opportunity to lead his junior team as they compete for a Memorial Cup. We look forward to watching him the rest of this season and wish him well."
Wright entered last year's draft ranked No. 1 among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was selected fourth overall by Seattle.
The Burlington, Ont., native struggled to maintain a spot in the Kraken lineup and was a frequent healthy scratch. After recording just one assist in seven games, Wright was sent down to the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League in November for a five-game conditioning stint where he notched four goals.
He rejoined the Kraken for one game, scoring his first NHL goal on Dec. 6 during a 4-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens, before he was loaned to Team Canada.
Wright's return to Kingston may be short-lived with the OHL's trade deadline approaching Tuesday. The Frontenacs are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 17-15-2 record but could move Wright to a top contender for a package of players and picks.
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