WHL
Vancouver Giants Are the Real Deal
January 25th, 2019 At the top of the WHL's BC Division are the Vancouver Giants with a 30-12-2-0 record. Equipped with some star power, primarily on defense, the Giants play stingy hockey and shut down the best of teams. One concern heading into the Jan. 10 trade deadline, was the Giants'...
2019 World Juniors: Canada’s Smith Making Minutes Count
December 31st, 2018 VANCOUVER — Ty Smith has had to make some adjustments at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, starting with his ice-time. An all-situations minute-muncher as the Spokane Chiefs’ top defenceman and co-captain — not to mention the first overall pick from the 2015...
2019 World Juniors: Hrabik Getting Great Opportunity With Czechs
December 30th, 2018 VANCOUVER — Krystof Hrabik is trying to make the most of his opportunity at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, getting to play a prominent role for the Czech Republic as an undrafted prospect. Hrabik couldn’t have handpicked two better linemates, flanking a...
10 Potential Trade Targets for Kelowna Rockets
November 25th, 2018 The Kelowna Rockets are going to load up between now and next January. The sooner, the better, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 2020 Memorial Cup hosts put some more roster pieces in place ahead of this January’s trade deadline. With that in mind and with...
WHL Roundup: Mark Kastelic, Mads Sogaard & Scores
November 18th, 2018 RED DEER, Alta. — Reese Johnson completed his hat trick at 2:50 of overtime as the Red Deer Rebels toppled the Kootenay Ice 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Jeff de Wit and Alex Morozoff also scored for the Rebels (15-5-1...
2018 Canada/Russia Series: Russia Scores Late to Edge WHL
November 7th, 2018 Coming off a 2-1 victory over Russia in game one of the 2018 Canada/Russia Series, the WHL hoped to complete the sweep at the Langley Events Centre on Nov. 6. Unfortunately, despite outplaying the Russians, the WHL allowed a late goal and then an empty-netter, falling 3-1...
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...
