49 WHL graduates set for 2018 Canada West Final
Edmonton, Alta. – When the Alberta Golden Bears and Saskatchewan Huskies step onto the ice this weekend for the Canada West Men’s Hockey Final, there will be a distinctly Western Hockey League feel to the bitter rivalry.
49 combined players with WHL experience are on the Bears and Huskies rosters, as they get set to battle for the Canada West title for a third consecutive season.
The series, which opens Friday night (7 p.m. MST) at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton, features 25 players on Alberta with WHL experience, while Saskatchewan sports 24 WHL grads.
All told, the 49 WHL graduates played 12,907 combined games and collectively registered 6,433 points in the WHL, representing the important role the league continues to play in fuelling the high quality of CW men’s hockey.
Included on the Bears and Huskies rosters are 2017-18 conference major award winners Luke Philp (Player of the Year), Steven Owre (Rookie of the Year), and Jason Fram (Defenceman of the Year) of Alberta, along with Saskatchewan’s Jordon Cooke (Goalie of the Year), and Kendall McFaull (Student-Athlete Community Service).
The 49 WHL grads competing in the 2018 CW Men’s Hockey Final are part of the 150 WHL grads who played in CW this season, and the more than 360 total WHL Scholarships granted by the WHL and its member clubs this season.
Every player who plays in the WHL is eligible to receive the WHL Scholarship. For every season a player plays in the WHL, they receive a guaranteed, full-year WHL Scholarship including tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees to a post-secondary institution of their choice.
Administered by the WHL Office, WHL Scholarships are solely funded by the member Clubs of the WHL. This season, WHL Clubs will contribute in excess of $2.5 million to graduates utilizing the WHL Scholarship.
You can watch the Bears-Huskies in the best-of-three CW final by tuning into Canada West TV – the official streaming home of every conference men’s hockey game.
For a complete look at the CW final schedule, click here
WHL GRADUATES IN THE CANADA WEST FINAL
ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (25 players / 6,523 combined WHL GP / 3,737 combined WHL points)
NAME – POSITION – HOMETOWN – LAST WHL TEAM (TOTAL WHL GP/PTS.)
Brendan Burke – G – Scottsdale, AZ – Calgary Hitmen (170/3)
Clayton Kirichenko– D – Sherwood Park, AB – Medicine Hat Tigers (249/125)
Jason Fram – D – Delta, BC – Spokane Chiefs (346/201)
Graeme Craig – D – Red Deer, AB – Prince Albert Raiders (336/71)
Sawyer Lange – D – Prince Albert, SK – Prince Albert (260/119)
Ryan Rehill – D – Edmonton, AB – Kamloops Blazers (265/87)
Stephane Legault – F – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Oil Kings (228/144)
Jamie Crooks – F – Vermillion, AB – Victoria Royals (314/214)
Taylor Cooper – F – Sherwood Park, AB – Regina Pats (230/132)
Luke Philp – F – Canmore, AB – Red Deer Rebels (309/292)
Steven Owre – F – Rocklin, CA – Medicine Hat Tigers (322/245)
Riley Kieser – F – Sherwood Park, AB – Edmonton Oil Kings (186/82)
Jayden Hart – F – Spruce Grove, AB – Prince Albert Raiders (247/160)
Tyson Baillie – F – Ft. Saskatchewan, AB – Kelowna Rockets (393/373)
Brandon Magee – F – Edmonton, AB – Victoria Royals (345/293)
Ben Carroll – D – Sherwood Park, AB – Edmonton Oil Kings (203/85)
Wil Tomchuk – D – Fort McMurray, AB – Prince George Cougars (132/11)
Cole Sanford – F – Coldstream, BC – Regina Pats (308/303)
Dylan Bredo – D – Edmonton, AB – Medicine Hat Tigers (400/160)
Kenny Cameron – G – Edmonton, AB – Medicine Hat Tigers (14/0)
Zach Sawchenko – G – Calgary, AB – Moose Jaw Warrriors (194/2)
Trevor Cox – F – Surrey, BC – Vancouver Giants (365/341)
Lucas Nickles – F – Salmon Arm, BC – Tri-City Americans (290/115)
Cole Linaker – F – Edmonton, AB – Kelowna Rockets (315/147)
Nick Charif – D – Edmonton, AB – Spokane Chiefs (102/32)
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (24 players / 6,384 combined WHL GP / 2,696 combined WHL points)
NAME – POSITION – HOMETOWN – LAST WHL TEAM (TOTAL WHL GP/PTS.)
Kendall McFaull – D – Rosetown, SK – Moose Jaw Warriors (294/62)
Connor Cox – D – Lethbridge, AB – Everett Silvertips (305/113)
Colby Harmsworth – D – Saskatoon, SK – Calgary Hitmen (275/55)
Jesse Forsberg – D – Waldheim SK – Moose Jaw Warriors (307/112)
Jordan Fransoo – D – North Battleford, SK – Victoria Royals (385/89)
Tanner Lishchynsky – D – Saskatoon, SK – Kootenay Ice (180/45)
Jordan Tkatch – F – Prud’homme, SK – Prince Albert Raiders (341/189)
Levi Cable – F – Hudson Bay, SK – Kootenay Ice (291/132)
Collin Shirley – F – Saskatoon, SK – Kamloops Blazers (362/246)
Connor Gay– F – Saskatoon, SK – Saskatoon Blades (246/189)
Carter Folk – F – Regina, SK – Victoria Royals (255/81)
Logan McVeigh – F – Kenaston, SK – Kamloops Blazers (340/156)
Michael Sofillas – F – Morden, MB – Lethbridge Hurricanes (119/26)
Carson Stadnyk – F – Saskatoon, SK – Everett Silvertips (314/188)
Jaimen Yakubowski – F – Dalmeny, SK – Moose Jaw Warriors (252/126)
Kohl Bauml – C – Saskatoon, SK – Everett Silvertips (294/176)
Andrew Johnson – F – Saskatoon, SK – Swift Current Broncos (294/107)
Sam Ruopp – D – Zehner, SK – Prince George Cougars (272/95)
Wyatt Johnson – F – Saskatoon, SK – Spokane Chiefs (250/143)
MacKenzie Johnston – D – Swift Current, SK – Saskatoon Blades (315/63)
John Lawrence – F – Newdale, MB – Calgary Hitmen (77/9)
Alex Forsberg – F – Waldheim, SK – Victoria Royals (294/258)
Taran Kozun – G – Nipawin, SK – Seattle Thunderbirds (148/4)
Jordon Cooke– G – Leduc, AB – Kelowna Rockets (174/1)
About Canada West:
Canada West (CW) is the leading university athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. Canada West and our 17 members from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba collectively carry on a legacy of competitive excellence, as our champions proudly go on to represent the conference at U SPORTS national championships.
Canada West – training leaders, building champions
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.