Lethbridge Hurricanes reflect on the season following playoff elimination
Jackson Unger (left) and Brayden Yager (right) were traded from the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Dec. 2, 2024. The Hurricanes open their Eastern Conference Final against Medicine Hat Friday night. (Source: WHL) (WHL)
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Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
NCAA exodus hits Vancouver Giants again as D-man Colton Roberts jumps to Colorado College
Mazden Leslie told the Vancouver Giants last February that he was going to the NCAA rather than returning to the team this coming season, and now fellow rearguard Colton Roberts has done the same. Roberts, 19, let the Giants know this week that he's going to suit up instead for the Colorado College Tigers this fall. The 2024 San Jose Sharks fifth-round draft pick has two more years of junior eligibility remaining. The WHL doesn't publish ice time stats, but Roberts was likely third on Vancouver last season. He seemed destined to play even more this coming campaign, the most logical successor to take over Leslie's spot on the first pairing alongside Ryan Lin, 17, last year's rookie standout. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Leslie, 20, announced midway through last season that he wasn't going to come back to Vancouver this year , and would play for the Bowling Green State University Falcons if he didn't land a pro contract. The Giants traded Leslie's WHL rights in May to the Kelowna Rockets . The Rockets are hoping he gets an NHL deal and then is reassigned to the Rockets. Kelowna is guaranteed to play deep into next spring because they're hosting the Memorial Cup national championship tournament. Vancouver has plenty of company with its WHL rivals in regards to losing players who would have been key contributors to the American collegiate ranks. The Victoria Royals are among the most notable teams right now, having forward Cole Reschny, 18, and defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, 17, cut ties with them to join the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Reschny is expected to be a first-round pick in next week's NHL Draft. Verhoeff is touted as a possible top-10 selection in next year's NHL Draft. Medicine Hat Tigers winger Gavin McKenna, 17, is already being pegged as the No. 1 choice for next year's draft. He's said to be looking at schools for the fall. Former Vancouver Canuck Byron Ritchie is McKenna's family adviser and his son Ryder Ritchie, 18, recently told the Tigers that he'd be playing with the Boston University Terriers this coming season. He's a winger who was a 2024 Minnesota Wild second rounder. The NCAA announced last fall that for the first time they'd be opening up scholarship opportunities for this coming season to players from Major Junior leagues like the WHL. There was a school of thought in some junior circles that it would be mainly 20-year-olds who take advantage of that, but the NCAA has chased after the best and brightest. Roberts, for one, has two years of junior eligibility remaining. Verhoeff has the potential for four more years, although you'd expect him to play pro early as well. The Giants are trying to navigate all this without a coach or a general manager. The team announced in late April that it had agreed to part ways with GM Barclay Parneta, whose contract was up. In May, team announced that coach Manny Viveiros wouldn't be back for the third and final year of his deal because he had signed on as bench boss of Red Bull Salzburg, an Austrian pro team. A committee featuring vice-president of operations and assistant general manager Pete Toigo, director of player personnel Greg Batters and head scout Terry Bonner led the way for the Giants with the WHL Draft and the expansion draft involving the new Penticton Vees franchise. There's no word on who handled the Giants' side of the Leslie deal. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Leslie was the second leading scorer among WHL defencemen last season with 72 points, including 21 goals. He could still get picked in next week's draft — NHL Central Scouting has him as the No. 133 North American skater — but at his age a free-agent deal is the better bet. He's been passed over in the past two drafts but has got free-agent invites to camps afterwards from the Toronto Maple Leafs and then Vegas Golden Knights. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Roberts had six goals and 36 points for Vancouver this season. Giants forward Ty Halaburda, 20, has committed to Colorado College for the 2026-27 campaign. SEwen@ @SteveEwen
Global News
13-06-2025
- Global News
Medicine Hat Tigers' Gavin McKenna becomes 3rd-youngest recipient of CHL player of the year award
Gavin McKenna has etched his name into the history books. The Medicine Hat Tigers' superstar forward was named the David Branch Player of the Year at the Canadian Hockey League Awards on Friday. McKenna is the third-youngest player to ever win the award at 17 years, five months, 24 days old. Only Sidney Crosby in 2003-04 (16 years, nine months, 11 days) and John Tavares in 2006-07 (16 years, eight months, seven days) were younger. The player from Whitehorse, Yukon, had 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 regular-season games, including a 40-game point streak. View image in full screen Medicine Hat Tigers' Gavin McKenna (72) warms up before a Memorial Cup hockey game in Rimouski, Que., on May 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov He extended that streak to 54 games during the Western Hockey League playoffs, establishing a modern CHL record (since 2000) for the longest single-season point streak across the regular season, playoffs, and Memorial Cup. Story continues below advertisement McKenna led Medicine Hat to its first WHL title since 2007 and to the Memorial Cup final, where the Tigers fell to the London Knights. He was second in Memorial Cup scoring with six points (three goals, three assists) in four games. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Meanwhile, Landon DuPont became the second-youngest recipient of the rookie of the year award. The Everett Silvertips defenceman is just 16 years and 16 days old. Tavares won the award at 15 years, eight months and seven days. 1:45 14-year-old Calgary hockey player given 'exceptional status' status by WHL DuPont, from Calgary, is the first blueliner in 30 years — and just the third in CHL history after Philippe Boucher (1990-91) and Bryan Berard (1994-95) — to earn the honour. Dupont had 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games. Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa was honoured as top scorer after leading the CHL with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games. Erie Otters blueliner Matthew Schaefer was named the top prospect award winner being the No. 1-ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting. Story continues below advertisement Other award winners included the Knights' Sam Dickinson as defenceman of the year, Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers as the goaltender of the year, Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs as sportsman of the year, Mathieu Cataford of the Rimouski Oceanic as scholastic player of the year, and Maxwell Jardine of the Charlottetown Islanders as humanitarian player of the year.
National Post
13-06-2025
- National Post
Gavin McKenna third-youngest to win CHL player of year award
TORONTO — Gavin McKenna has etched his name into the history books. Article content The Medicine Hat Tigers' superstar forward was named the David Branch Player of the Year at the Canadian Hockey League Awards on Friday. Article content Article content McKenna is the third-youngest player to ever win the award at 17 years, five months, 24 days old. Only Sidney Crosby in 2003-04 (16 years, nine months, 11 days) and John Tavares in 2006-07 (16 years, eight months, seven days) were younger. Article content The player from Whitehorse, Yukon, had 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 regular-season games, including a 40-game point streak. Article content He extended that streak to 54 games during the Western Hockey League playoffs, establishing a modern CHL record (since 2000) for the longest single-season point streak across the regular season, playoffs, and Memorial Cup. Article content McKenna led Medicine Hat to its first WHL title since 2007 and to the Memorial Cup final, where the Tigers fell to the London Knights. He was second in Memorial Cup scoring with six points (three goals, three assists) in four games. Article content Meanwhile, Landon DuPont became the second-youngest recipient of the rookie of the year award. The Everett Silvertips defenceman is just 16 years and 16 days old. Tavares won the award at 15 years, eight months and seven days. Article content DuPont, from Calgary, is the first blueliner in 30 years _ and just the third in CHL history after Philippe Boucher (1990-91) and Bryan Berard (1994-95) — to earn the honour. Dupont had 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games. Article content Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa was honoured as top scorer after leading the CHL with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games. Erie Otters blueliner Matthew Schaefer was named the top prospect award winner being the No. 1-ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting. Article content Other award winners included the Knights' Sam Dickinson as defenceman of the year, Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers as the goaltender of the year, Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs as sportsman of the year, Mathieu Cataford of the Rimouski Oceanic as scholastic player of the year, and Maxwell Jardine of the Charlottetown Islanders as humanitarian player of the year.
