The Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Portage Terriers traded the Hockey Canada playing rights of 18-year-old forward Dustin Bruyere to the Winnipeg Blues July 7 in exchange for the playing rights of 20-year-old forward Kyle Stephansson, a former Norman Northstar, and future considerations.

Stephansson had seven goals and three assists for the Blues last season, along with 63 minutes in penalties, in 37 games.

Prior to that, he played with the Swan Valley Stampeders after being traded from the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, who signed him in July 2008.

Stephansson, a native of Winnipeg, won the Stampeders' Heart Trophy for community involvement at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season. He scored six goals and assisted on two in 32 games that season, during which he picked up 75 minutes in penalties.

Stephansson, 6'3" and 205 lbs, played 37 games with the Norman Northstars in 2007-2008, scoring 19 goals and 17 assists to go along with 110 penalty minutes. One of four Northstars named to the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League's East all-star team that season, he recorded one assist in the all-star game, which was hosted in Thompson.