Jugnauth, Dickinson, and Villeneuve named finalists for the CHL’s 2024-25 Defenceman of the Year Award
Tyson Jugnauth of the Portland Winterhawks (WHL), Sam Dickinson of the London Knights (OHL), and Xavier Villeneuve of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL) have been named nominees for the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League.
The nominees for this prize are based on the recipients of the regional awards, including the OHL’s Max Kaminsky Trophy, QMJHL’s Émile-Bouchard Trophy, and WHL’s Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy.
The recipient of the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award will be announced and given his trophy at a ceremony for the 2025 CHL Awards on Friday, June 13, in Toronto, ON.
Over the years, the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award has been won by many great players including Chris Pronger (Peterborough Petes), Dan Hamhuis (Prince George Cougars), Keith Yandle (Moncton Wildcats), Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires), Dougie Hamilton (Niagara IceDogs), Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings), Thomas Chabot (Saint John Sea Dogs), Olen Zellweger (Kamloops Blazers) and most recently Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit).
WHL Nominee — Tyson Jugnauth (Portland Winterhawks)
13G-76A, 89 PTS, +9 in 65 GP during the 2024-25 season
Tyson Jugnauth’s first full WHL season saw him flourish as he led all blueliners with 89 points to receive the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the league’s defenceman of the year.
His 76 assists were the third most among all WHL skaters, while he finished 12th in league scoring. His 35 power-play assists led the league.
In just 106 games with the Winterhawks, the 21-year-old recorded 130 points with his 1.22 point-per-game being the fourth best in team history by a d-man to have played at least 100 games.
Jugnauth was the 100th overall pick by the Seattle Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft.
OHL Nominee — Sam Dickinson (London Knights)
29G-62A, 91 PTS, +64 in 55 GP during the 2024-25 season
A season in which he was crowned a Memorial Cup and OHL Champion, the London Knights’ Sam Dickinson also earned the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s defenceman of the year.
Dickinson set a Knights single-season record for points by a defenceman with 91 points – that included 29 goals – while he finished 10th in league scoring. He led all OHL skaters with a +64 rating while his 12 power-play goals, eight shorthanded points, and 245 shots on goal led OHL defencemen.
In the postseason, he tallied 31 points in 17 games to rank second among OHL d-men as he claimed a second straight OHL title. At the Memorial Cup, he collected six assists as the Knights won a third CHL championship. In all, Dickinson produced a 38-goal, 90-assist, and 128-point campaign in 77 games.
Dickinson also represented Canada at the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa, while in 2023, he won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
The 18-year-old was the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks.
QMJHL Nominee — Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
12G-50A, 62 PTS, +14 in 61 GP during the 2024-25 season
As a 17-year-old, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada’s Xavier Villeneuve claimed the Émile-Bouchard Trophy as the league’s defenceman of the year.
Villeneuve led all QMJHL d-men with 50 assists – as well as power play assists (28) – while his 62 points ranked second in just 61 games, while he also posted a +14 rating. In the postseason, he added four assists in five games.
Once his season was over with the Armada, the Les Cèdres, QC., native helped Canada to gold at the U18 World Championships, where he led all tournament blueliners with four goals.
Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Villeneuve becomes just the third 17-year-old in history to win the Émile-Bouchard Trophy, joining the elite company of Samuel Girard (2016) and Jean-Jacques Daigneault (1983).
