WHL announces Division Nominees for Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League has announced the 2023-24 Division nominees for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy.
The trophy is awarded annually to the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.
Recent winners include Pittsburgh Penguins prospect and current Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager, Dallas stars forward Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers) and Eli Zummack (Spokane Chiefs).
All WHL Division Award winners are eligible for the overall WHL Awards, which will be announced from Wednesday, May 1 through Thursday, May 9.
The winner of the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike Player will be revealed on Thursday, May 2.
WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player Nominees
B.C. Division – Jordan Keller (Kamloops, B.C.)- Kamloops Blazers
Central Division – Gavin Hodnett (Winnipeg, Man.)- Edmonton Oil Kings
East Division – Brayden Yager (Saskatoon, Sask.)- Moose Jaw Warriors
U.S. Division – Jordan Gavin (Surrey, B.C.)- Tri-City Americans
WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player Biographies
Jordan Keller (Kamloops Blazers)
Kamloops Blazers forward Jordan Keller is the WHL B.C. Division Most Sportsmanlike Player for 2023-24.
The 19-year-old scored 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points in 69 games with Saskatoon and Kamloops this season, finishing first on the Blazers in goals and second in points, highlighted by a six-game point streak that saw him tally 14 points. He amassed just 16 penalty minutes, all of which were minors.
The Kamloops, B.C. product has shown tremendous growth in his second full WHL season.
Originally selected by Saskatoon in the third round, 48th overall, of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Keller has a total of 36 goals and 42 assists in 143 regular-season WHL games as well as one assist in 17 playoff games with Saskatoon in 2023.
Gavin Hodnett (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Edmonton Oil Kings forward Gavin Hodnett is the WHL Central Division Most Sportsmanlike Player for the season.
The 17-year-old nearly doubled his offensive production in his second full WHL season, while garnering only 20 penalty minutes.
Hodnett led the Oil Kings with 70 points (23 goals, 47 assists) in 61 games, including a season-best one goal, three assist performance in a 5-4 win over Calgary on February 21.
The 2024 NHL Draft-eligible forward is ranked 224th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Since being picked by Edmonton 19th overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, the Winnipeg, Man. product has racked up 35 goals and 80 assists for 115 points in 127 regular season games with Edmonton.
Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager is the WHL East Division Most Sportsmanlike Player for the second year in a row.
The reigning Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy winner recorded 35 goals and 60 helpers for 95 points in 57 games during the 2023-24 regular season, finishing third on the high-powered Warriors in both goals and points.
The 2022 WHL and Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year eclipsed 30 goals for the second time in his career while being dinged with only 20 penalty minutes.
The Saskatoon, Sask. product also totaled three shorthanded goals and six game winners.
The Warriors alternate captain was also named to Team Canada for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden, where Yager netted two goals, three assists and one penalty. Originally selected third-overall by Moose Jaw in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Yager was also a first-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft, going to Pittsburgh 14th overall in 2023.
The 6-foot, 170-pound forward 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.
Jordan Gavin (Tri-City Americans)
Tri-City Americans centre Jordan Gavin hit new career highs- and a very important low- in 2023-24.
Gavin set new career marks with 23 goals and 45 assists for 54 points in 68 games and no penalty minutes.
The Surrey, B.C. product finished second on the Americans in points and third in goals.
The 2025 NHL Draft-eligible forward was selected by Tri-City second overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft and has piled up 46 goals and 78 assists for 124 points and just four penalty minutes in 139 games played.
Gavin also represented Team Canada Black at the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he netted a goal and an assist in six games.
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 375 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.
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