The Estevan Bruins won't have the services of Connor Vermeulen this season after all.
The July trade that saw Vermeulen acquired from the Flin Flon Bombers in exchange for star rearguard Tyler Kauk has been voided by the SJHL.
There was a condition in the trade that if both players didn't report, the deal was off.
Vermeulen's family recently moved to Alberta, which means he can't play in Saskatchewan as an underage player.
The 17-year-old had been billed as a promising offensive defenceman after scoring 16 goals and 28 points for the Beardy's Blackhawks last season.
"We were really excited about Connor Vermeulen and that's why (we made the trade)," said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood.
Kauk, meanwhile, did not report to Flin Flon.
Lewgood spoke with Kauk to see if he would be willing to return to Estevan, but he wanted to move on.
"He feels as if he wasn't wanted and he doesn't want to come back. We were willing to bring him back," said Lewgood.
The Bruins are now back at square one and are looking to deal Kauk elsewhere.
"We'll be in talks with some other teams. Some teams have already inquired," Lewgood said.
"We're not giving him away. He's one of the biggest (trade) chips, and we're going to get a big return if we have to trade him."
He added that he wouldn't pull the trigger on a deal until after training camp, when he can get a better look at where the team needs to improve.
