WHL
Finland’s Thomson Shining for WHL’s Rockets
November 3rd, 2018 Lassi Thomson is still grasping the English language and Canadian culture. As for the smaller ice surface, he’s already looking right at home and, really, hit the ground running in North America. From Day 1, his elite talent was evident and, in a matter of a month,...
Byram and Korczak: Friends Turned Foes in WHL
October 21st, 2018 Bowen Byram and Kaedan Korczak have become the best of frenemies. Yes, frenemies — as in friends who also happen to be enemies. Friends from their time together this summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, forming a defence pairing in helping Canada capture...
Former Oilers Captains Now Coaching in WHL
October 19th, 2018 Bucky and Gator, together again. In the same league, in the same building, albeit in opposing dressing rooms. Not as players, but as coaches. Not in the NHL, but in the WHL — in the junior loop where it all began for both, before going on to lengthy and...
2019 NHL Draft: Early Season Top 20 WHL Prospects
October 17th, 2018 The National Hockey League's annual entry draft goes through cycles, with different leagues seeing different levels of representation as their own development cycles ebb and flow. The 2019 NHL Draft – coincidentally hosted in Vancouver, BC – is considered by the...
Kelowna Rockets Passing Torch to Top Draft Prospects
September 23rd, 2018 Gone are the big three. Now it’s all about the next three for the Kelowna Rockets. The big three — Cal Foote, Dillon Dube and Kole Lind — are graduating to the pro ranks this fall, be it the NHL or AHL. The next three — Nolan Foote, Kaedan Korczak and Lassi...
WHL Preview and Predictions: Expect American Champion?
September 17th, 2018 With the puck dropping on another Western Hockey League season this week, it’s time to weigh in with my annual predictions — from the division standings to the playoff picture. The way I see it, there’s an imbalance within the conferences as of today, with the U.S....
Rockets’ Nolan Foote Gearing Up for Draft Year
September 7th, 2018 Bigger, faster, stronger — the claim of seemingly every hockey player, every athlete, ahead of a new season. Nolan Foote isn’t bluffing and can’t wait to prove it, coming off his first full summer of training since making the jump to major junior — before his...
Addison Makes Case for Team Canada at Summer Showcase
August 8th, 2018 Tim Hunter and Team Canada are going to have some difficult decisions on defence when it comes time to finalize the World Junior roster at selection camp in December. The easy decisions are Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard — taken 12th and 10th overall, respectively, in...
WHL’s Bumper Crop Leads Canada into Hlinka Gretzky Cup
August 3rd, 2018 Bruce Hamilton had a big hand in Canada winning gold at last year’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. He handpicked that team as part of Hockey Canada’s management group, overseeing his selections excel en route to defeating the host Czech Republic 4-1 in the...
Canada Roster for Hlinka Gretzky Cup a Little WHL-Heavy
August 2nd, 2018 Team Canada has historically been a dominant force in the annual under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. The event has been transformed into the Hlinka Gretzky Cup beginning this year as part of a partnership that will bring the tournament to Canadian ice in 2018, 2020...
WHL Coaching Carosel Revs Up
July 18th, 2018 In the summer of 2017, there was a lot of upheaval in the hockey world. The arrival of the Vegas Golden Knights, combined with a few disappointing performances among the other 30 National Hockey League clubs, led to a lot of turnover in coaching staffs and new faces being...
WHL Playoff Predictions: Third Round Offers Intriguing Matchups
April 17th, 2018 I knew I shouldn’t have bet against Carter Hart, but three out of four ain’t bad. That brings me up to 10-for-12 through two rounds of my WHL playoff predictions, also getting the number of games right for five of those series. Yes, I’m on a bit of a roll this...
WHL Draft-Eligibles Stepping Up in Second Round
April 12th, 2018 The Tri-City Americans are steamrolling their way through the Western Hockey League playoffs, sweeping both the Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals to emerge from the B.C. Division bracket with eight straight victories. Tri-City now awaits the winner of the U.S. Division...
