Kia CHL Top-10 Spotlight: Silvertips claim latest division crown
For the eighth time in franchise history, the Everett Silvertips are the WHL’s U.S. Division champion.
Sitting atop the division with 16 wins and 32 points through 20 appearances – and with three games remaining on the slate – the Silvertips have once again proven to be a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest.
Winners of seven of their past eight outings, the Silvertips are well supported throughout their lineup, headlined by grizzled overage left-wing Cole Fonstad who has pushed the pace with 15 goals and 17 assists for a team-leading 32 points that also ranks fifth-best league-wide. A five-year WHL veteran whose junior career is highlighted by a league championship with Prince Albert in 2019, Fonstad has not only led the Silvertips on the scoresheet but has also provided invaluable guidance as a co-captain alongside defenceman Gianni Fairbrother.
“Getting here and then quarantining, and then from the time of our first practice to our first game was two weeks later,” Fonstad said. “Every other year, you usually have a month-and-a-half to prepare for that first game, but this year it was pretty quick. It was a pretty big grind for everyone. It definitely was not easy. We were put through the paces and we got tested really hard. I think everyone bought in and that is why we are here right now.”
Joining Fonstad up front, the Silvertips continue to receive impressive returns from 19-year-old centre Gage Goncalves, a 2020 second-round selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning who for the second year running is poised to finish second in team scoring after collecting 29 points counting 11 goals and 18 assists through 20 appearances. Inking his entry-level contract with the Lightning in mid-December, Goncalves has further seasoned his game this year before potentially advancing to the pro level in the fall.
2 goals | 3 points | OT GWG | 12-game point streak
Go off @cole_fonstad. #LetsGoTips pic.twitter.com/2ekDkOAxYE
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) May 3, 2021
Rounding out the offensive ranks, the Silvertips are also seeing solid offensive support from the likes of veteran wingers Jackson Berezowski and Ethan Regnier, both of whom have provided just shy of point-per-game production for the club while also offering head coach Dennis Williams no shortage of scoring options and a handful of challenging matchups for the opposition.
On the back end, Everett’s talent collection then continues where the club is headlined by NHL draftees in Fairbrother and Ronan Seeley, whose pro rights are held by the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively. Both blue-liners have had productive campaigns, each with 15 points through 20 games, while also helping to shepherd in the next wave of talent that begins with 17-year-old Olen Zellweger, a product of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., who is currently competing with his native Canada at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
“We are extremely proud as an organization of this latest accomplishment for Olen Zellweger, a terrific selection for Team Canada,” said Silvertips general manager Garry Davidson at the time of the roster announcement. “His development is a huge credit to our coaching staff, preparing him for this moment, and Olen himself. As an organization, it is our priority to prepare players for these opportunities. We consider it another feather in our cap today in our mission to help players who commit to our program to maximize their potential.”
A projected mid-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, Zellweger is noted for his strong offensive skill set as evidenced by his terrific output with the Silvertips this season that saw him register 13 points through 11 games – heavily outpacing the two goals and 10 assists he put up in 58 showings a year ago – and which has only continued under the international spotlight at the under-18s where he leads all Canadian rearguards with seven points in five contests.
Another milestone:
This Wolf goes to 💯 #LetsGoTips pic.twitter.com/OoTROxDiBv
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) April 24, 2021
Sticking in the defensive zone, backing the Silvertips to victory has been star netminder Dustin Wolf, a 2019 seventh-round selection of the Calgary Flames and the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year who has continued his dominant play between the pipes this season, highlighted by three consecutive shutouts to open the new campaign.
On the year, Wolf has found the win column in 15 of his 19 appearances, bringing his career showing to an astounding 103-34-4-2 record, of which 24 of those 103 victories have come as shutouts – including four perfect games this season to put the California native two back of the WHL’s all-time record shared by Tyson Sexsmith and former Silvertips teammate Carter Hart.
“Coming into the year, (the record) was on everybody’s radar and then I had a really good start to the season with three in a row and I kind of turned some heads on that front,” Wolf told Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun. “But I think these last few games, it has all been about just having fun and going back to the reasons you love hockey.”
Getting a taste of the pro ranks with the Flames’ farm club prior to WHL puck drop this season, the 20-year-old Wolf is poised to move up to the next level for the coming campaign but undoubtedly he and his Everett teammates will look to close out his junior career on a high note.
“I am looking forward to the next adventure in pro hockey, but it is going to be tough to leave this place,” Wolf reflected. “It is a place I have called home for the last four years and probably will call home for a long time. I have loved every moment of it. It is going to be tough to finish off my career here because it has been such a great opportunity for myself. I have really had a blast.”