The Portage Terriers will have a slight hole to fill on the blueline after the departure of a sophmore defenceman.

Terriers head coach/GM Blake Spiller confirms Layne Toder, 17, has signed a Western Hockey League (WHL) standard player agreement with the Calgary Hitmen.

Toder, a 5-foot-11, 161-pound left-handed shot, was a fourth-round pick of the Hitmen in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. The Terriers selected him in the fourth-round, 44th overall, in the 2015 Manitoba Junior Hockey League Draft.

The Elkhorn, Man., native had 28 points (11G, 17A) and 47 penalty minutes in 44 games with the Terriers during 2016-17 MJHL regular season as a 16-year-old rookie. He added nine points (1G, 8A) and 16 penalty minutes in 18 playoff games.