Anholt Named Eastern Conference Executive of the Year
Lethbridge, AB – The Western Hockey League announced Tuesday that Lethbridge Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt has been named the Eastern Conference Executive of the Year.
Anholt has served as the General Manager of the Hurricanes for parts of six seasons after taking over as GM and Head Coach during the 2014-2015 season. The product of Naicam, Saskatchewan has helped lead the Hurricanes to five consecutive seasons of clinching a playoff berth, including back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship Series appearances in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.
During the shortened 2019-2020 season, Anholt’s team collected a 37-19-2-5 record in 63 games played finishing third in the Central Division. In his five full seasons as General Manager, the Hurricanes have posted a record of 200-115-18-14.
Anholt was the recipient of the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy in 2015-2016. The winner of the WHL Executive of the Year award will be named on Friday, May 8th.
WHL Release:
The Western Hockey League announced today Peter Anholt, General Manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has been named the WHL Eastern Conference Executive of the Year and nominee for the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy (WHL Executive of the Year).
In his fifth full season as General Manager of the Hurricanes, Anholt was the architect of a Club that skated to a 37-19-2-5 record through 63 games, placing third in the WHL’s Central Division and competitive among the top teams in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The performance marked the Hurricanes’ fifth-straight season of 30 or more victories, one behind tying the Club record.
Powering them to success were a number of new and familiar faces for the Hurricanes as well as the southern Alberta region. Anholt’s selection of Slovakian forward Oliver Okuliar at the 2019 CHL Import Draft boosted the Hurricanes’ scoring prowess, while the addition of former Hurricane Brett Davis helped to strengthen the Hurricanes down the stretch. Anholt also acquired Dino Kambeitz to provide more offensive options for his group. Finally, Anholt has built local ties through the WHL Bantam Draft, selecting Lethbridge products Zack Stringer and Erick Roest to complement the team’s promising future.
The Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy honours a WHL Club Executive for their contributions to their team’s overall performance on and off the ice during the WHL Regular Season.
A famed Canadian sports broadcaster, Saunders became known as the radio voice of the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. As a commentator and broadcaster, Saunders became the voice of Canadian sport nationally and internationally. Saunders called six Memorial Cup Championships and predominantly called Canadian and World Curling Championships as well. He also commentated at five Olympic Games as well as three Commonwealth Games.
In 1986, Saunders was inducted to Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum, Football Reporters of Canada wing in 1986. In 1996, he was inducted to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame as a builder.
WHL Eastern and Western Conference Executives of the Year are voted upon annually by WHL General Managers and Head Coaches. The winner of the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy for WHL Executive of the Year will be announced on Friday, May 8.
