Yager, Luchanko, and Lounsbury named finalists for 2023-24 CHL Sportsman Player of the Year
Brayden Yager of the Moose Jaw Warriors, Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm, and Preston Lounsbury of the Moncton Wildcats have been named nominees for the CHL Sportsman Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the player judged to be the most sportsmanlike player among the CHL’s 60 clubs.
The nominees for this prize are based on the recipients of the regional league awards including the OHL’s William Hanley Trophy, the QMJHL’s Frank-J.-Selke Memorial Trophy, and the WHL’s Brad Hornung Trophy.
The recipient of the CHL Sportsman Player of the Year Award will be announced and given his trophy at a ceremony for the 2024 CHL Awards on Saturday, June 1, in Saginaw, Michigan. The latter is an event taking place as part of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow in Saginaw, which is scheduled to run from May 23 – June 2.
Over the years, the CHL Sportsman Player of the Year Award has been won by many great players including Eric Daze (Beauport Harfangs), Brad Boyes (Erie Otters), Jeff Carter (Soo Greyhounds), Mark Stone (Brandon Wheat Kings), Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice), Samuel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes), Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack), and most recently Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts).
WHL Nominee — Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors)
35G-60A, 95 PTS, +19 & 20 PIMs in 57 GP during the 2023-24 season
For a second year in a row, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager of the Moose Jaw Warriors was awarded the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Sportsmanlike Player of the Year. The 19-year-old from Saskatoon, Sask., finished this 2023-24 season with a career-high 35 goals and 95 points, while taking just 20 penalty minutes in 57 games.
Yager’s 95 points are ranked tied for second on the team, while his 35 goals were the third-most of any Warriors skater in 2023-24. Yager also eclipsed the 30-goal plateau for the second time in his WHL career. By winning the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy in consecutive seasons, Yager became the seventh two-time winner of the WHL’s Sportsmanlike Player of the Year Award. It’s just the sixth time in WHL history that a player has won this award over back-to-back seasons.
Yager has earned a WHL award in every year of his major junior career, having first taken home the 2021-22 WHL Rookie of the Year, before being awarded the WHL’s Sportsmanlike Player of the Year in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Additionally, the 19-year-old won the CHL Rookie of the Year Award following the 2021-22 campaign.
Yager reached major milestones this season, surpassing 100 career goals and hitting a perfect 250 career points with 104 goals and 146 assists in 211 regular-season matches. Last year, he was drafted 14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
OHL Nominee — Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm)
20G-54A, 74 PTS, -13 & 36 PIMs in 68 GP during the 2023-24 season
2024 NHL Draft prospect Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm put together an impressive 2023-24 campaign. Ranked 20th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old from London, Ont., led the Guelph Storm in assists (54) and points (74) this season. Luchanko also finished the year tied for second in the OHL in power-play assists (30) alongside Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan (London Knights) trailing only the Soo Greyhounds’ Jack Beck (32).
Luchanko accomplished all of this while taking just 36 minutes in penalties during the regular season. His 74 points this season ranked fifth among draft-eligible skaters in the OHL behind Saginaw’s Zayne Parekh (96), Windsor’s Liam Greentree (90), Brantford’s Marek Vanacker (82) & Mississauga’s Luke Misa (81).
At the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton N.B., Luchanko impressed in the on-ice testing by finishing among the top five in six of 10 categories, including placing first in reaction with puck, and second in transition ability with puck. The 19-year-old recently helped Canada earn gold at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, recording two goals and seven points in seven tournament games.
By winning the William Hanley Trophy, Luchanko became the third Guelph Storm player to win the award, following fellow Londoner and three-time winner Nick Suzuki (2018-19) along with Jeff Williams (1995-96).
QMJHL Nominee — Preston Lounsbury (Moncton Wildcats)
19G-38A, 57 PTS, +10 & 6 PIMs in 68 GP during the 2023-24 season
2024 NHL Draft prospect Preston Lounsbury of the Moncton Wildcats was an impact player in his second full season in the QMJHL. Having registered career-highs in goals (19), assists (38), and points (57), Lounsbury finished tied for third on the Wildcats in scoring this season. He managed to accomplish all of that while taking just six penalty minutes in 68 games played during the 2023-24 campaign.
Over the last year, Lounsbury registered his first career QMJHL hat-trick on Nov. 4 against the Gatineau Olympuques, just a week after tallying a career-best four points (1G-3A) in a 5-2 Moncton victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Oct. 27. The 19-year-old from Moncton, N.B., also finished the season with a plus/minus rating of +10. He also potted seven power-play goals, which ranked second among Moncton Wildcats skaters.
By winning the Frank-J.-Selke Memorial Trophy this season, Lounsbury became the fourth Moncton Wildcats player to achieve the feat, following Jakob Pelletier (2019-20), Jonathan Roy (1999-00), and Simon Laliberté (1997-98).
