The Portage Terriers have been active in the trade department in the early portion of the offseason. The Dogs have made two separate trades already. 

The first brought back forward Alyandro De Leon from the SJHL for future considerations. The second trade saw forward Kalen Reynolds and goaltender Gavin Renwick acquired from the Neepawa TItans for a fifth-round pick. 

Renwick spent the last two seasons with the Neepawa Titans but he's looking forward to a change of scenery.

"I had a feeling it was going to happen a couple of days in advance. Robby (Moar), the assistant coach, phoned me. He coached me previously in Neepawa in my first year," Renwick explains. "He told me what's up and asked me what was going on. So, I was excited. Blake Spiller phoned me the next day to get to know me a little bit, which was good."

The goalie believes the transition should be smooth since he has two familiar faces to look for on day one.

"Spent my first year with Robby, and then with Kalen, we were both in school at the time. I was in Grade 11, and he was in Grade 12. So, we spent time together in that way, too," Renwick continues. "The boys call (Reynolds) 'stretch' because he's so tall. Stretch, and I are pretty good buddies. It's nice to know a face going into a new team."

Renwick had a 3.79 goals-against-average and a 0.873 save percentage over the course of 23 starts last season. He had an 8-10-3 record for the Titans in 2022-23, but he's ready to take the next step in Portage.

"My first year was kind of a learning curve playing with guys up to four years older than me. It was nice though. It only took a couple of weeks to get in a groove before it seemed normal," says Renwick. "No game is an easy game, and every game matters. Coming into the Terriers this coming year, I'm a little more experienced than a lot of other 18-year-olds coming in. I know what to expect with the schedule, the travel, and the workload that comes with it."

The Wellwood, Manitoba product is thrilled to be a part of the rabid hockey community in Portage la Prairie.

"The Terriers are one of the powerhouses of the league. They always seem to be in the mix for the championship. The reputation that comes with it and the fan base is great. Even with this, I would've never thought that I'd be interviewed because of a trade. The fanbase around the Terriers and how excited the community is to come to watch the Terriers is really exciting."

Renwick describes his playstyle as calm. He says he plays his best when making things look easy, however, there are many aspects of his game that he wants to improve upon before the 2023-24 campaign.

"I want my speed to be better and my lateral movement for those back door plays. Footwork is always a big thing, no matter what age, that always needs to be better. I'm pretty good at playing the puck but I want to be able to make some smarter plays with the puck. I'm focusing a lot more on the gym and my nutrition."

The newly acquired goaltender looks to be the backup to third-year Terrier Jayden Catellier for the upcoming season, but that has yet to be determined.

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