CHIEFS FORWARD PRESTON NAMED TEMPO WHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today Spokane Chiefs forward Mathis Preston has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, December 21.
Preston, a 17-year-old product of Penticton, B.C., registered four points (2G-2A) and a plus-4 rating in one game as the Chiefs went 1-0-0-0 this past week.
The 5-foot-11, 177-pound centre tied a career high with four points (2G-2A) Tuesday, December 16, as the Chiefs thumped the Portland Winterhawks by a 9-2 score. Preston’s first period included assists on two goals from Winnipeg Jets prospect Owen Martin, including the opening goal of the game as well as the eventual game-winning goal. Early in the second period, Preston found the back of the net for his 11th goal of the season. Midway through the second, he added his second tally of the evening, giving the Chiefs a commanding 6-1 lead. He was named second star of the game for his performance.
Assigned an ‘A’ rating by NHL Central Scouting in its Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2026 NHL Draft, Preston ranks second in scoring on the Chiefs with 29 points (12G-17A) in 31 games, trailing recently acquired veteran forward Logan Wormald and his 38 points.
Preston’s scoring has come in bunches this season, with the 2026 NHL Draft eligible forward having tallied nine multi-point games, including two four-point outings.
In late November, Preston was selected to represent Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary and Lethbridge where he notched three points (1G-2A) in two games.
The highly touted prospect has since been named to the roster for Team West and will compete at the inaugural WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, which is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, at the Langley Events Centre.
Originally selected by the Chiefs in the first round (third overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Preston has secured 78 points (39G-39A) in 90 career WHL regular season games. The speedy forward played a critical role for a Chiefs team that won the WHL’s Western Conference in 2024-25, posting 16 points (9G-7A) in 20 games as Spokane advanced to the 2025 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien.
Heading into the holiday break, the Chiefs (17-16-0-0) rank seventh in the WHL’s Western Conference. Preston and the Chiefs return to action Saturday, December 17 (6:05 p.m. PT), when they host the Wenatchee Wild (11-19-1-1) at Numerica Veterans Arena.
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 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six 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.
