Lethbridge Hurricanes - Feed https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/tag/nick-watson/ Thu, 14 May 2026 20:49:41 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Hurricanes Select Eight Players in 2026 WHL Prospects Draft https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-select-eight-players-in-2026-whl-prospects-draft Thu, 07 May 2026 21:32:28 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-select-eight-players-in-2026-whl-prospects-draft Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club selected a total of eight 2011-born players in the 2026 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, including four forwards, three defenceman and one goaltender. On Wednesday, the Hurricanes selected forward Artello Forestal with the 14th overall selection in the first-round of the draft. The Edmonton, Alberta, product appeared in 21 regular season games with OHA Edmonton U15 Prep team where he totaled 47 points (22g-25a) along with 22 penalty minutes. Forestal added four points (2g-2a) along with 16 penalty minutes in three playoff games. He also collected nine points (5g-4a) with four penalty minutes with Team Alberta Gold at the 2026 Alberta Cup after racking up 12 points (7g-5a) and six penalty minutes at the John Reid Memorial with OHA Edmonton U15 Prep. “We were really impressed by his ability to put the puck in the net every opportunity that he got, he sees the ice very well and makes his linemates around him play well too,” said Hurricanes Head Scout Garry Carson on Wednesday. “We really stressed that we wanted way more speed and skill in this draft and Artello is one of those players who has the attributes that we were looking for. We needed to add more scoring to our group moving forward and he will bring that to our lineup right away.” The ‘Canes opened the second day with their first selection by picking 2011-born forward Ronan Gow in the third-round (50th overall). The Nanaimo, British Columbia, product appeared in 30 regular season games with the Delta U15 Prep team amassing 52 points (26g-26a) along with 22 penalty minutes. The 6’1, 175-pound centre finished second in points while leading Delta U15 Prep in goals. He also finished 13th in league scoring with his 52 points. Gow also served as Captain of the Delta U15 Prep team during the 2025-2026 season. He added five points (2g-3a) and four penalty minutes in three post-season games. With their second third-round pick, the Hurricanes selected defenceman Evan Cuthbertson. The Kamloops, British Columbia, product spent the 2025-2026 season with the Yale U15 Prep team where he collected 12 points (2g-10a) along with six penalty minutes in just 16 regular season games. He also collected three points (1g-2a) in five playoff games. The 6’1, 150-pound rearguard recorded 21 points (6g-15a) along with two penalty minutes in 16 games with Thompson of the BC U15 league during the 2024-2025 season. Lethbridge had a pair of fourth-round draft picks. The ‘Canes selected American forward CJ Dornfeld with the 70th overall pick. The St. Paul, Minnesota, product had a standout season with the Woodbury Bantam AA team where he finished the season with an impressive 92 points (36g-56a) along with 100 penalty minutes in 61 contests. The 6’1, 185-pound forward finished third in team scoring while leading his team in penalty minutes while ending the campaign sitting 15th in league scoring with 92 points. The ‘Canes then selected American goaltender Chay Ekblad with the 77th overall selection in the sixth round. The Williston, North Dakota, product spent the 2025-2026 season with Fox Motors 14 team in the T1EHL14 league. In 13 regular season games, he posted a 3-5-2-0 record with a 3.34 goals against average and one shutout. The 6’2, 159-pound netminder also appeared in two playoff games with Fox Motors 14. The Hurricanes continued with two sixth-round draft picks. First, Lethbridge selected forward Knox Kehler with the 116th overall pick. The Yellow Head County, Alberta, product amassed 44 points (21g-23a) along with 74 penalty minutes in 33 regular season games with the St. Albert Sabres of the ABU15A league. He added an impressive 22 points (13g-9a) along with 16 penalty minutes in just nine playoff games with the Sabres while adding 10 points (6g-4a) along with 10 penalty minutes in the AEHL U15 AAA Provincials. The 6’1, 181-pound forward is the son of former WHLer Joff Kehler who played five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs from 1999 to 2004. With their second pick of the sixth-round, the ‘Canes chose defenceman Kai Genereaux with the 120th overall selection. The Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, product skated in 30 regular season games with the Calgary Edge U15 Prep team where he finished with 13 points (4g-9a) along with 30 penalty minutes. The 6’1, 166-pound rearguard added six penalty minutes in two playoffs games with Edge U15. Genereaux collected 20 points (6g-14a) with 34 penalty minutes with the Lloydminster Athletics 14U of the JPHL. In the seventh round, the Hurricanes made their final selection of the draft by choosing defenceman Rowen Norrie. The Calgary, Alberta, product had 15 points (2g-13a) along with 60 penalty minutes in 34 regular season games with the Calgary Bisons U15 AAA team. He added one assist in three post-season games. The 6’1, 165-pound blueliner also appeared in one game with the CBHA Hawks U16 AA team and one game with the Calgary Bulls U17 club during the 2025-2026 season. “We are very pleased with how this draft went for us and are excited about the eight players that we selected,” said Hurricanes Head Scout Garry Carson. “Our group had an objective and a plan for this year’s draft in adding a lot of skill and speed to our team and we feel that we accomplished that. The blend of high-end scoring ability, mixed with the three puck moving defenceman and an exciting goaltender, we feel that this group has a lot of potential and we are excited for the future.” The Hurricanes also made four trades during the draft. Lethbridge traded the 154th and 160th overall picks in the 2026 draft to the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2028 and an eighth-round draft pick in 2029. The ‘Canes also dealt their 150th overall pick to the Swift Current Broncos for a sixth-round pick in the 2028 draft before acquiring an eighth-round draft pick in the 2028 draft from the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for the 174th overall pick. Finally, the Hurricanes flipped their 185th overall pick to the Edmonton Oil Kings for a ninth-round draft pick in 2029. Season Tickets for the 2025-2026 season, which will mark the Hurricanes 40th Anniversary season in Lethbridge, are now on sale with Loyalty Pricing available until July 2nd at 5:00pm. Premium Season Tickets are also available for an additional $250 per seat. Season Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Yates Memorial Theatre and VisitLethbridge.com Arena Ticket Centre, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.visitlethbridgearena.ca.]]> Hurricanes Select Artello Forestal in First Round https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-select-artello-forestal-in-first-round Thu, 07 May 2026 02:17:19 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-select-artello-forestal-in-first-round Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club announced on Wednesday they have selected 2011-born forward Artello Forestal in the first-round of the 2026 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft. Forestal, 14, was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2026 WHL Draft. The Edmonton, Alberta, product had an impressive 2025-2026 season collecting 47 points (22g-25a) along with 22 penalty minutes in 21 regular season games with the OHA Edmonton U15 Prep team. He also added four points (2g-2a) and 16 penalty minutes in three post-season games with OHA Edmonton. Forestal, was born in December of 2011, is a late birthday which makes him not eligible until the 2030 National Hockey League Entry Draft. “We were really impressed by his ability to put the puck in the net every opportunity that he got, he sees the ice very well and makes his linemates around him play well too,” said Hurricanes Head Scout Garry Carson. “We really stressed that we wanted way more speed and skill in this draft and Artello is one of those players who has the attributes that we were looking for. We needed to add more scoring to our group moving forward and he will bring that to our lineup right away.” During the 2025-2026 season, the 5’10, 147-pound centre totaled 16 points (9g-7a) along with two penalty minutes with First Class U15 at the TED U15 tournament. He also collected nine points (5g-4a) with four penalty minutes with Team Alberta Gold at the 2026 Alberta Cup after racking up 12 points (7g-5a) and six penalty minutes at the John Reid Memorial with OHA Edmonton U15 Prep. Last year, Forestal recorded 44 points (22g-22a) along with 10 penalty minutes in 28 regular season games with the OHA Edmonton U15 Prep team during the 2024-2025 season. The Hurricanes will hold 10 selections in round two through seven, including two third-round picks, two fourth-round picks, two sixth-round picks and four selections in the seventh round. Lethbridge also holds picks in round eight to 15. The WHL will hold Day 2 of the Prospects Draft which will feature rounds two through 15 on Thursday, May 7th beginning at 10:00am MT., Fans can follow the rest of the draft online by visiting www.whl.ca/draft. Season Tickets for the 2025-2026 season, which will mark the Hurricanes 40th Anniversary season in Lethbridge, are now on sale with Loyalty Pricing available until July 2nd at 5:00pm. Premium Season Tickets are also available for an additional $250 per seat. Season Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Yates Memorial Theatre and VisitLethbridge.com Arena Ticket Centre, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.visitlethbridgearena.ca.]]> 2026 WHL Draft Preview https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/2026-whl-draft-preview Tue, 05 May 2026 21:54:22 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/2026-whl-draft-preview th when the league will hold its first round with a live draft show streamed free on Victory+ beginning with the pre-draft show starting at 5:30pm MT. The league will then host rounds two through 15 on Thursday, May 7th beginning at 10:00am MT. In 2026, players born in the United States will be eligible for the Prospects Draft after the WHL abandoned the two-round US Priority Draft which was held for six years from 2020 until 2025. Players eligible for the WHL Prospects Draft  are 2011-born players who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Hurricanes enter the 2026 WHL Draft owning a total of 19 draft picks in the 15-round draft, including 12 picks in the first eight rounds. Lethbridge’s first selection will be with Saskatoon’s pick, 14th overall, which was acquired from the Kelowna Rockets in November in the Shane Smith and Vojtech Cihar trade. The ‘Canes will also hold a total of two third-round picks, two fourth-round picks, two sixth-round picks and four seventh-round selections. The following is all the draft picks held by the Hurricanes: 1st Round – 14th overall (via Saskatoon – acquired from Kelowna in Smith & Cihar trade) 3rd Round – 50th overall (via Wenatchee – acquired from Spokane in Wormald trade) 3rd Round – 58th overall (via Spokane – acquired from Spokane in Wormald trade) 4th round – 70th overall (Lethbridge – re-acquired from Spokane in Wormald trade) 4th round – 77th overall (via Regina – acquired from Kelowna in Smith & Cihar trade) 6th round – 116th overall (Lethbridge – re-acquired from Kelowna in Smith & Cihar trade) 6th round – 120th overall (via Moose Jaw – acquired from Moose Jaw in Ziprick trade) 7th round – 139th overall (Lethbridge) 7th round – 150th overall (via Spokane – acquired from Spokane in Gizowski trade) 7th round – 154th overall (via Calgary – acquired from Moose Jaw in Petersen trade) 7th round – 160th overall (via Prince Albert – acquired from Prince Albert in Fabrizi trade) 8th round – 174th overall (via Kamloops – acquired from Kamloops in Olsen trade) 9th round – 185th overall (Lethbridge) 10th round – 208th overall (Lethbridge) 11th round – 231st overall (Lethbridge) 12th round – 254th overall (Lethbridge) 13th round – 277th overall (Lethbridge) 14th round – 300th overall (Lethbridge) 15th round – 323rd overall (Lethbridge) The likelihood of the Hurricanes, or any other team for that matter, selecting a player with every pick they hold is very rare with most teams passing by the time the 10th round opens. In fact, the most recent draft in 2025, there were only 13 players selected in rounds 11 through 15. That’s not to say that you can’t find a late bloomer or ‘draft surprise’ in the later rounds; current Hurricanes forward Kayden Longley was the last player taken in in the 2021 WHL Draft when he was selected by the Kelowna Rockets in the 13th round, 281st overall; the previous 21 selections were passed on. Other noteworthy players that were selected in the final rounds of the WHL Prospects Draft include: 2023 – 11th round, 236th overall – Riley Thorpe (MJ) 2021 – 12th round, 259th overall – Ismail Abougouche (KEL) 2019 – 11th round, 234th overall – Marcus Nguyen (POR) 2019 – 13th round, 286th overall – Max Hildebrand (PA) 2017 – 10th round, 212th overall – Daylan Kuefler (KAM) 2015 – 10th round, 211th overall – Max Paddock (REG) 2015 – 10th round, 215th overall – Adam Evanoff (MJ) While you can occasionally find steals as the draft goes, the first-round picks are where teams make their money and typically select players that will shape the future of the team for years to come. Lethbridge’s recent history of first-round selections include: 2024 – 13th overall – Tyden Lafournaise 2023 – 14th overall – Dayne Beuker 2022 – 11th overall – Will Sharpe 2021 – 10th overall – Miguel Marques 2021 – 17th overall – Tristen Doyle 2020 – 16th overall – Cole Miller 2018 – 8th overall – Zack Stringer 2017 – 16th overall – Noah Boyko 2016 – 19th overall – Dylan Cozens 2015 – 2nd overall – Calen Addison 2014 – 2nd overall – Jordy Bellerive 2013 – 17th overall – Stuart Skinner Other notable first-round picks in Hurricanes history include: 2012 – 4th overall – Giorgio Estephan 2006 – 7th overall – Carter Ashton 2004 – 4th overall – Dwight King 2000 – 6th overall – Brent Seabrook The Hurricanes ended the 2025-2026 season with a record of 17-47-3-1 in their 68-game schedule failing to qualify for the WHL Playoffs for the first time since 2015. Lethbridge’s own pick, which turned into the first overall pick, was traded to the Kelowna Rockets in January of 2025 in the Caden Price trade. Despite not owning their own first-round pick, the Hurricanes will select in the first round holding the 14th overall pick, a pick selection which has proved to produce some impressive talent in the history of the WHL Draft, including: 2024 – Chase Surkan (Brandon) 2023 – Dayne Beuker (Lethbridge) 2022 – Connor Schmidt (Moose Jaw) 2021 – Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert) 2020 – Zach Benson (Winnipeg) 2019 – Mathew Ward (Swift Current) 2015 – Dawson Barteaux (Red Deer) 2014 – Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Spokane) 2011 – Brayden Point (Moose Jaw) 2009 – Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat) 2004 – Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver) 1999 – Kyle Brodziak (Moose Jaw) 1993 – Josh Holden (Regina) Other notable players taken over the years with selections held by the Hurricanes in this year’s WHL Draft include: 50th - 2008 - Cain Franson (Vancouver) 58th - 2024 - Leif Oaten (Lethbridge) 58th - 2020 - Aiden Oiring (Winnipeg) 58th - 2019 - Kyle Chyzowski (Portland) 58th - 2017 - Dylan Garand (Kamloops) 58th - 2014 - Nick Henry (Regina) 58th - 1996 - Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw) 70th - 2022 - Brayden Klimpke (Saskatoon) 70th - 2012 - Noah Juulsen (Everett) 77th - 2014 - Brett Davis (Lethbridge) 77th - 2013 - Cale Fleury (Kootenay) 77th - 2009 - Jaimen Yakubowski (Lethbridge) 120th - 2022 - Ethan Bibeau (Prince Albert) 120th - 2019 - Daniel Hauser (Winnipeg) This year’s draft will be the first under the vision of new Interim General Manager Barclay Parneta. The former head man with the Vancouver Giants was hired as a Senior Advisor by the Hurricanes at the start of the 2025-2026 season before he replaced Peter Anholt following the long-time GM’s resignation in January. Parneta has spent a long time in the Western Hockey League spending the previous seven years as the General Manager with the Giants, but his time also includes eight years as the Head Scout / Assistant General Manager with the Tri-City Americans which came after seven years as an Amateur Scout in the National Hockey League with the Phoenix Coyotes and St. Louis Blues. During his time as both a General Manager and Head Scout, Parneta has made some important picks over the years, including: 6th overall – 2023 – Ryan Lin (Vancouver) 7th overall – 2022 – Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver) 19th overall – 2022 – Aaron Obobaifo (Vancouver) 119th overall – 2022 – Burke Hood (Vancouver) 10th overall – 2020 – Mazden Leslie (Vancouver) 32nd overall – 2020 – Ty Halaburda (Vancouver) 56th overall – 2020 – Ethan Semeniuk (Vancouver) With the Giants, Parneta also made WHL history selecting standout women’s player Chloe Primerano in the 2021 WHL Draft, making her the first ever female selected in the draft. In his time with the Americans, the draft success continued with many highlighted selections including: 80th overall – 2018 – Tyson Greenway 102nd overall – 2018 – Parker Bell 53rd overall – 2017 – Talyn Boyko 6th overall – 2016 – Sasha Mutala 7th overall – 2015 – Carson Focht 7th overall – 2014 – Michael Rasmussen 44th overall – 2014 – Kyle Olson 49th overall – 2014 – Brett Leason 115th overall – 2014 – Riley Sawchuk 63rd overall – 2013 – Dylan Coghlan 89th overall – 2013 – Morgan Geekie 21st overall – 2012 – Parker Wotherspoon 175th overall – 2012 – Jordan Topping 211th overall – 2011 – Brandon Carlo Parneta will guide the Hurricanes into the future as they hope to land a top-end talent at pick #14 and continue to add to a prospect pool which includes Cohen Pentney, Reid Soper, Matteo Di Stefano, Liam McFadden, Luka Samu, Graham Gard, among others. Regardless of whom the ‘Canes brass will select in the first round of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft, it will mark the first time since the 2014 draft that a new General Manager will oversee the draft for Lethbridge. Fans can follow along with the FREE WHL Draft Show beginning at 5:30pm MT on Wednesday on Victory+ (www.victoryplus.com) or follow Round 1 and Rounds 2-15 on Thursday by visiting www.whl.ca/draft. - Dustin Forbes]]> Heger, Lesiuk Listed on Final Rankings by NHL Central Scouting https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/heger-lesiuk-listed-on-final-rankings-by-nhl-central-scouting Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:02:51 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/heger-lesiuk-listed-on-final-rankings-by-nhl-central-scouting Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club have announced that 2007-born defenceman Kyle Heger and 2008-born forward Gavin Lesiuk have been listed in the Final Rankings by the National Hockey League Central Scouting Service for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Heger, 18, was ranked 66th among North American Skaters. The Eagan, Minnesota, product was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Medicine Hat Tigers prior to the 2026 Western Hockey League Trade Deadline. He appeared in 64 regular season games collecting 35 points (11g-24a) along with 37 penalty minutes split between the ‘Canes and Tigers during his rookie campaign in 2025-2026. Heger totaled 20 points (6g-14a) along with 12 penalty minutes in 29 regular games with Lethbridge following the trade. The 6’1, 192-pound rearguard finished fifth in Hurricanes scoring during the 2025-2026 season while leading all defenceman with his 35 points. Heger ranked tied for sixth among first-year WHL defenceman in scoring. He was named a co-winner of the Hurricanes Hardest Working Player while also a co-winner of the Hurricanes Top Defenceman Award. Heger was previously ranked 67th by NHL Central Scouting on the Midterm Rankings in January. Lesiuk, 18, was ranked 189th among North American Skaters. The Duncan, British Columbia, product set a new career high during the 2025-2026 season collecting 14 points (9g-5a) along with a team-high 106 penalty minutes in 63 regular season games. The former second-round draft pick of the Hurricanes has appeared in 96 career regular season games amassing 19 points (10g-9a) along with 128 penalty minutes. The 6’4, 216-pound forward ended his sophomore season sitting seventh in the WHL in penalty minutes while sitting second among players from the Eastern Conference. Lesiuk became the first Hurricane since Landen Ward in 2023-2024 to hit the century mark in penalty minutes while becoming just the seventh player for Lethbridge in the last decade to record over 100-PIMS in a season. He was previously ranked 177th by NHL Central Scouting on the Midterm Rankings. Additionally, Hurricanes prospects Landon Hafele (64th), Dayne Beuker (76th) and Logan Stuart (127th) were also ranked among North American skaters while Filip Novak (22nd) was ranked among European skaters. A total of 88 Western Hockey League players were listed by NHL Central Scouting on the Final Rankings, including 80 skaters and eight goaltenders. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26-27, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Season Tickets for the 2025-2026 season, which will mark the Hurricanes 40th Anniversary season in Lethbridge, are now on sale with Loyalty Pricing available until July 2nd at 5:00pm. Premium Season Tickets are also available for an additional $250 per seat. Season Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Yates Memorial Theatre and VisitLethbridge.com Arena Ticket Centre, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.visitlethbridgearena.ca.]]> Oaten Named to World U18 Championship Preliminary Roster https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/oaten-named-to-world-u18-championship-preliminary-roster Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:52:24 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/oaten-named-to-world-u18-championship-preliminary-roster Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club are proud to announce that Hockey Canada has named 2009-born goaltender Leif Oaten to the Preliminary Roster for the 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Oaten, 16, was one of three goaltenders named to the preliminary roster by Hockey Canada. The Calgary, AB, product is one of 23 players named to the roster which includes nine players from the Western Hockey League. He previously represented Canada at the 2025 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he led Canada Red to a Gold medal finishing the tournament with a 3-0-1 record while collecting a 2.95 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. He was named a tournament all-star for Canada Red, posting 38-saves in the Gold medal game. “We want to congratulate Leif on earning the opportunity to compete for a spot on Canada’s U18 team,” said Hurricanes Interim General Manager Barclay Parneta. “Leif is a young goaltender with a very bright future ahead of him, and this selection is a testament to his work ethic, character, and performance both with our club and on the international stage.” The 6’3, 194-pound goaltender was originally drafted in the third-round (58th overall) in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. Oaten appeared in 31 regular season games with the Hurricanes posting a record of 6-19-2-0 with a 4.23 goals against average and a .876 save percentage with one shutout during the 2025-2026 season. He finished the campaign 10th among rookie netminders in the WHL in games played (31) and was the lone 16-year-old goaltender in the league. Oaten posted an impressive 2.87 GAA and a .909 SV% with one shutout while collecting a record of 6-4-0-0 in 10 home contests last season with the ‘Canes. “Leif has represented his country and the Hurricanes with pride, and we are excited to watch him take this step. We wish him the very best through this process and look forward to him bringing that experience back to continue helping build and strengthen our program,” added Parneta. Canada will look for their third-straight gold medal at the World U18 Championship having won the tournament in 2024 and 2025. Since it’s inception in 1999, Canada has won the World U18 Championship on six occasions (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021, 2024 and 2025). The 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championships will take place in Trencin and Bratislava, Slovakia beginning on Wednesday, April 22nd running through until Sunday, May 2nd. Season Tickets for the 2025-2026 season, which will mark the Hurricanes 40th Anniversary season in Lethbridge, are now on sale with Loyalty Pricing available until July 2nd at 5:00pm. Premium Season Tickets are also available for an additional $250 per seat. Season Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Yates Memorial Theatre and VisitLethbridge.com Arena Ticket Centre, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.visitlethbridgearena.ca.]]> Aasman, Anholt Named to World Under-18 Championship Canadian Coaching Staff https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/aasman-anholt-named-to-world-under-18-championship-canadian-coaching-staff Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:09:33 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/aasman-anholt-named-to-world-under-18-championship-canadian-coaching-staff Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club are proud to announce that Hockey Canada has named head coach Matt Anholt and assistant coach Ryan Aasman to the coaching staff of Canada’s Men’s hockey team for the 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Anholt, 31, will serve as an Assistant Coach for the World U18 Championship. He will represent Hockey Canada for the third time, first at the U18 level. He has previously represented Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2024 and 2025 serving as an Assistant Coach in both tournaments. In 2025, Anholt helped lead Canada Red to a Silver medal in Truro, Nova Scotia. The Prince Albert, SK, product was named the Hurricanes head coach on June 25, 2025. Anholt has been a member of the ‘Canes coaching staff for the past eight seasons, serving in various roles including Skills Coach, Assistant Coach, Associate Head Coach and Assistant General Manager. He led Lethbridge to a record of 17-47-3-1 in his first season as Head Coach during the 2025-2026 regular season and has amassed a record of 22-51-3-1 record as Hurricanes bench boss. “We want to sincerely congratulate both Matt and Ryan on being selection to represent Canada at the U18 World Championships. This is an outstanding and well-earned opportunity and to be a part of Team Canada at this level speaks volumes about the reputation they’ve built and the trajectory they are on in our game,” said Hurricanes Interim General Manager Barclay Parneta who has also represented Hockey Canada at various levels during his career. Aasman, 34, will also serve as a Video Coach for the World U18 Championship. He will represent Hockey Canada for the second time after first serving as a Video Coach for Canada Red at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley, British Columbia, where he captured a Silver medal. He also worked as a camp coach at the 2025 U17 development camp in Calgary. The Medicine Hat, AB, was originally hired by the Hurricanes as a Video Coach prior to the 2021-2022 season. Aasman has spent the last five seasons with the ‘Canes with the last four as an Assistant Coach. Prior to joining the Hurricanes, he served as the head coach of the Calgary Northstars U18 AAA team after one year with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Grande Prairie Stom where he served as Interim Head Coach. “We are incredibly proud of both Matt and Ryan and know that they will not only contribute to Canada’s success, but also return with invaluable experience, knowledge and perspective that will have a direct and lasting impact on the continued growth and development of the Lethbridge Hurricanes,” added Parneta. Anholt and Aasman will serve on the Canadian coaching staff under to former St. Lous Blues head coach Drew Bannister who will serve as head coach. Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary and Kamloops Blazers goaltending coach Dan De Palma have also been named to the staff. In addition, Red Deer Rebels athletic therapist Terence Robertson will serve on the staff. Canada will look for their third-straight gold medal at the World U18 Championship having won the tournament in 2024 and 2025. Since it’s inception in 1999, Canada has won the World U18 Championship on six occasions (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021, 2024 and 2025). The 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championships will take place in Trencin and Bratislava, Slovakia beginning on Wednesday, April 22nd running through until Sunday, May 2nd. Season Tickets for the 2025-2026 season, which will mark the Hurricanes 40th Anniversary season in Lethbridge, are now on sale with Loyalty Pricing available until July 2nd at 5:00pm. Premium Season Tickets are also available for an additional $250 per seat. Season Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Yates Memorial Theatre and VisitLethbridge.com Arena Ticket Centre, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.visitlethbridgearena.ca.]]> 2025-2026 Hurricanes Award Recipients https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/2025-2026-hurricanes-award-recipients Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:07:30 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/2025-2026-hurricanes-award-recipients Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes announced their 2025-2026 year-end Award winners on Sunday morning at the second annual Awards Breakfast and Hot Stove at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre. In total, 11 different awards were handed out including the the Top Scorer, Three Star Award, Hardest Working Player, Top Defenceman, Rookie of the Year, Scholastic Player of the Year, Community Relations, Fan Favourite, Most Valuable Player and the Joan Kobal Award. The Hurricanes introduced a new award named the 'Better Than Yesterday' award given to the player who lead off the ice and in the gym during the season. Here are the winners for the 2025-2026 season: Hockey Hounds Scholastic Player of the Year: The Hockey Hounds Scholastic Player of the Year was defenceman Will Scott. Scott was spent his Grade 12 year enrolled in both online and in-person classes. His positive work ethic and dedication to his studies allowed him to achieve academic excellence while balancing a demanding hockey schedule. He completed Law-12, English 30-1 and Capstone in semester one with an overall average of 91%. He also was enrolled in Chemistry 12. Scott also excelled on the ice in his rookie season amassing 22 points (2g-20a) in 59 regular season games. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Kash Andresen 2023-2024: Noah Chadwick & Trae Wilke 2022-2023: Noah Chadwick 2021-2022: Logan McCutcheon 2020-2021: Logan McCutcheon 2019-2020: Alex Thacker 2018-2019: Logan Barlage 2017-2018: Logan Barlage 2016-2017: Josh Tarzwell 2015-2016: Tyler Wong 2014-2015: Tyler Wong 2013-2014: Tyler Wong 2012-2013: Craig Leverton 2011-2012: Adam Henry 2010-2011: Michael Sofillas 2009-2010: Philip Tot 2007-2008: Craig Orfino & Brennan Yadlowski 2006-2007: Drew Todd 2005-2006: Dwight King 2004-2005: Michael Kaye 2003-2004: Colton Yellow Horn 2002-2003: DJ King 2001-2002: DJ King 2000-2001: Matt Fetzner 1999-2000: Derek Ruck 1998-1999: Brady Block 1997-1998: Shaun Sutter 1996-1997: Luc Theoret 1995-1996: Bryce Salvador 1994-1995: Bryce Salvador 1993-1994: David Trofimenkoff 1992-1993: David Trofimenkoff 1991-1992: David Trofimenkoff 1990-1991: Lance Burns 1989-1990: Darcy Werenka 1988-1989: Casey McMillan 1987-1988: Peter Schmid 106.7 ROCK Three Star Award: The 106.7 ROCK Three Star Award winner was goaltender Koen Cleaver. Cleaver was named a star on 10 occasions during the 2025-2026 season. Of the 10 times he was named a star, the netminder was named a first star five times, a second star three times and a third star two times. During the season, half of the times that he was named a star the Hurricanes were victorious while being named a star three times in 'Canes wins. Cleaver was named a star 22.7% of the time. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Logan Wormald 2023-2024: Harrison Meneghin 2022-2023: Tyson Zimmer 2021-2022: Justin Hall 2020-2021: Dino Kambeitz & Logan Barlage 2019-2020: Dylan Cozens 2018-2019: Jake Elmer 2017-2018: Jordy Bellerive 2016-2017: Tyler Wong 2015-2016: Tyler Wong 2014-2015: Stuart Skinner 2013-2014: Jamal Watson 2012-2013: Ty Rimmer 2011-2012: Damien Ketlo 2010-2011: Cam Braes 2009-2010: Cam Braes 2008-2009: Carter Ashton 2007-2008: Zach Boychuk 2006-2007: Mitch Fadden 2005-2006: Colton Yellow Horn 2004-2005: Colton Yellow Horn 2003-2004: Logan Koopmans 2002-2003: Mike Wirll 2001-2002: Tomas Kopecky 2000-2001: Nathan Barrett 1999-2000: Radek Duda 1998-1999: Jason Hegberg 1997-1998: Mark Smith 1996-1997: Byron Ritchie 1995-1996: Byron Ritchie 1994-1995: Byron Ritchie 1993-1994: Domenic Pittis 1992-1993: Domenic Pittis 1991-1992: Kevin St. Jacques 1990-1991: Brad Rubachuk 1989-1990: Mark Greig 1988-1989: Wes Walz 1987-1988: Jeff Ferguson Canadian Tire South & North Top Scorer Award: The Canadian Tire South & North Top Scorer Award winner was Easton Daneault. Daneault ended the season leading the Hurricanes with a total of 53 points (13g-40a) along with 30 penalty minutes in 67 regular season games. He finished first in points and assists for the 'Canes while ending the year sixth in goals. Daneault ended the season with points in nine of his last 12 games. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Brayden Yager (82 points) 2023-2024: Miguel Marques (74 points) 2022-2023: Cole Shepard (55 points) 2021-2022: Justin Hall (74 points) 2020-2021: Justin Hall (27 points) 2019-2020: Dylan Cozens (85 points) 2018-2019: Nick Henry (94 points) 2017-2018: Jordy Bellerive (92 points) 2016-2017: Tyler Wong (109 points) 2015-2016: Brayden Burke (109 points) 2014-2015: Tyler Wong (56 points) 2013-2014: Riley Sheen (49 points) 2012-2013: Russell Maxwell (55 points) 2011-2012: Brody Sutter (60 points) 2010-2011: Cam Braes (61 points) 2009-2010: Carter Bancks (55 points) 2008-2009: Colton Scevior (80 points) 2007-2008: Mitch Fadden (89 points) 2006-2007: Zach Boychuk (91 points) 2005-2006: Colton Yellow Horn (75 points) 2004-2005: Colton Yellow Horn (86 points) 2003-2004: Nick Tarnasky (49 points) 2002-2003: Jeremy Jackson (102 points) 2001-2002: Nathan Barrett (107 points) 2000-2001: Nathan Barrett (99 points) 1999-2000: Radek Duda (106 points) 1998-1999: Jason Hegberg (75 points) 1997-1998: Shane Willis (112 points) 1996-1997: Byron Ritchie (126 points) 1995-1996: Byron Ritchie (106 points) 1994-1995: Scott Townsend (92 points) 1993-1994: Domenic Pittis (127 points) 1992-1993: Domenic Pittis (119 points) 1991-1992: Kevin St. Jacques (140 points) 1990-1991: Jason Ruff (136 points) 1989-1990: Corey Lyons (142 points) 1988-1989: Corey Lyons (112 points) 1987-1988: Bryan Bosch (55 points) Dennis Dirtworx Fan Favourite Award: The Dennis Dirtworx Fan Favourite Award winner is Kade Duell. Duell was the landslide winner obtaining over 38% of all total votes cast during the 2025-2026 voting process. He received over 1,400 votes total which marked nearly one-thousand more votes than the next closest person. The Taber, AB, product recorded 46 points (18g-28a) in 65 games during his first season with the Hurricanes. Past Winner: 2024-2025: Miguel Marques 2023-2024: Miguel Marques 2022-2023: Jett Jones 2021-2022: Jett Jones 2020-2021: Dino Kambeitz 2019-2020: Jett Jones 2018-2019: Jake Elmer 2017-2018: Jadon Joseph 2016-2017: Tyler Wong 2015-2016: Tyler Wong 2014-2015: Tyler Wong 2013-2014: Tyler Wong 2012-2013: Tyler Wong 2011-2012: Brody Sutter 2010-2011: Michael Sofillas 2008-2009: Carter Bancks 2007-2008: Mike Wuchterl 2006-2007: Zach Boychuk 2005-2006: Colton Yellow Horn 2004-2005: Colton Yellow Horn 2003-2004: Brent Seabrook 2002-2003: Jeremy Jackson 2001-2002: Jeremy Jackson 2000-2001: Thomas Scantlebury 1999-2000: Jason Hegberg 1998-1999: Jason Hegberg 1997-1998: Mark Smith 1996-1997: Jason Hegberg 1995-1996: Mike O’Grady 1994-1995: Mike O’Grady 1993-1994: Shane Peacock 1992-1993: Shane Peacock 1991-1992: Rob Hartnell 1990-1991: Brad Rubachuk 1989-1990: Brad Rubachuk 1988-1989: Brad Rubachuk 1987-1988: Zac Boyer Hardest Working Hurricane: The Hardest Working Hurricane Award winner were Kade Duell and Kyle Heger. Duell was named the co-winner of the Hardest Working Hurricane. He recorded 46 points (18g-28a) in 65 games during his first season with the Hurricanes finishing fourth in team-scoring. His 18-goals were the second-most scored on the 'Canes during the 2025-2026 campaign. Duell ended the season with a six-game point streak while collecting points in 17 of his last 23 games. Heger was named the co-winner of the Hardest Working Hurricane. The Minnesota product finished his first WHL season amassing a total of 35 points (11g-24a) in 64 games. He appeared in 29 regular season games with the Hurricanes totaling 20 points (6g-14a) along with 12 penalty minutes. Heger finished the year leading the Hurricanes in defenceman scoring. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Logan McCutcheon 2023-2024: Brayden Edwards 2022-2023: Chase Pauls 2021-2022: Jett Jones & Ty Nash 2020-2021: Ty Nash 2019-2020: Logan Barlage 2018-2019: Jake Leschyshyn 2017-2018: Ty Prefontaine 2016-2017: Giorgio Estephan & Tanner Nagel 2015-2016: Giorgio Estephan 2014-2015: Tyler Wong 2013-2014: Brady Ramsay 2009-2010: Mike Reddinton 2008-2009: Cam Braes 2007-2008: Carter Bancks 2006-2007: Kyle Bailey 2005-2006: Yashar Farmanara 2004-2005: Michael Gulasi 2003-2004: Mark Ashton 2002-2003: Brett O’Malley 2001-2002: Brett O’Malley 2000-2001: Blake Ward 1999-2000: Jason Hegberg 1998-1999: Jason Hegberg 1997-1998: Mark Smith 1996-1997: Mark Smith 1995-1996: Mark Smith 1994-1995: Todd MacIsaac 1993-1994: Aaron Zarowny 1992-1993: Jason Widmer 1991-1992: Jamie Pushor 1990-1991: Brad Rubachuk & Terry Hollinger 1989-1990: Brad Rubachuk & Mark Greig HARD Training Better Than Yesterday Award: The winner of the HARD Training Better Than Yesterday Award is defenceman Carsen Adair. Adair was named the first ever recipient of the Better Than Yesterday Award. The Clavet, SK, recorded a career-high of 16 points (4g-12a) along with 65 penalty minutes in 65 regular season games. He helped lead the Hurricanes during the 2025-2026 season as part of the leadership group while embracing the commitment to off-ice training. Past Winners: N/A Herman Elfring Community Relations Award: The recipient of the 2025-2026 Herman Elfring Community Relations Award was Tyden Lafournaise. Lafournaise spent countless hours during the season volunteering his time in the community, including volunteering at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen, supporting schools and hockey practices. He also spent time volunteering at the Chinook Regional Hospital. Lafournaise went above and beyond with committing his own time to help with extra shifts at the Soup Kitchen and at the hospital. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Shane Smith 2023-2024: Joe Arntsen 2022-2023: Joe Arntsen 2021-2022: Ty Nash & Bryan Thomson 2020-2021: Zack Stringer 2019-2020: Dino Kambeitz 2018-2019: Jake Elmer 2017-2018: Jake Elmer 2016-2017: Tyler Wong 2015-2016: Tyler Wong 2014-2015: Andrew Nielsen 2013-2014: Jamal Watson 2012-2013: Russell Maxwell 2011-2012: Brody Sutter 2010-2011: Mitch Maxwell 2009-2010: Carter Bancks 2008-2009: Carter Bancks & Carter Ashton 2007-2008: Carter Bancks & Adam Chorneyko 2006-2007: Kris Hogg 2005-2006: Mark Olafson 2004-2005: Aaron Sorochan 2003-2004: Logan Koopmans 2002-2003: Andy Thompson 2001-2002: Ryley Layden 2000-2001: Brian Bellman 1999-2000: Jason Hegberg 1998-1999: Kris Knoblauch 1997-1998: Shane Willis 1996-1997: Dale Purinton 1995-1996: Randy Perry 1994-1995: Scott Townsend 1993-1994: Jason Widmer 1992-1993: Jamie Pushor 1991-1992: Jamie Pushor 1990-1991: Jamie McLennan & Brad Rubachuk 1989-1990: Jamie McLennan & Dusty Imoo 1988-1989: Brad Rubachuk Serfas Farms' Top Defenceman Award The Serfas Farms Top Defenceman Award recipients were Kyle Heger and Matteo Fabrizi. Heger was named the co-winner of the Top Defenceman Award. The Minnesota product finished his first WHL season amassing a total of 35 points (11g-24a) in 64 games. He appeared in 29 regular season games with the Hurricanes totaling 20 points (6g-14a) along with 12 penalty minutes. Heger finished the year leading the Hurricanes in defenceman scoring. Fabrizi was named the co-winner of the Top Defenceman Award. He recorded a career-high 23 points (5g-18a) along with 62 penalty minutes in 56 regular season games with the Hurricanes. The overage defenceman finished third in defenceman scoring for the 'Canes while serving as an alternate captain during the year. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Noah Chadwick 2023-2024: Noah Chadwick 2022-2023: Joe Arntsen 2021-2022: Kade Nolan 2020-2021: Alex Cotton 2019-2020: Koletrane Wilson 2018-2019: Calen Addison 2017-2018: Igor Merezhko 2016-2017: Brennan Menell 2015-2016: Andrew Nielsen 2014-2015: Nick Walters 2013-2014: Lenny Hackman 2012-2013: Dan Johnston 2011-2012: Dan Johnston 2010-2011: Mike Reddington 2009-2010: Brennan Yadlowski 2008-2009: Ben Wright 2007-2008: Ben Wright & Jeff May 2006-2007: Tomas Kudelka 2005-2006: Mark Ashton 2004-2005: Brent Seabrook 2003-2004: Brent Seabrook 2002-2003: Brent Seabrook 2001-2002: Kris Callaway 2000-2001: Thomas Scantlebury 1999-2000: Thomas Scantlebury 1998-1999: Thomas Scantlebury 1997-1998: Luc Theoret 1996-1997: Chris Phillips 1995-1996: Randy Perry 1994-1995: Randy Perry 1993-1994: Jason Widmer 1992-1993: Jamie Pushor 1991-1992: Terry Hollinger 1990-1991: Terry Hollinger 1989-1990: Peter Berthelson 1988-1989: Peter Berthelson 1987-1988: Peter Berthelson Carl Trentini Memorial Award - Rookie of the Year The Carl Trentini Memorial Award winner as Rookie of the Year was Easton Daneault. Daneault ended the season leading the Hurricanes with a total of 53 points (13g-40a) along with 30 penalty minutes in 67 regular season games. He finished first in points and assists for the 'Canes while ending the year sixth in goals. Daneault ended the season with points in nine of his last 12 games. The Red Deer, AB, product also ended the year as the eighth highest scoring rookie in the entire Western Hockey League. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Koen Cleaver 2023-2024: Landen Ward 2022-2023: Harrison Meneghin 2021-2023: Logan Wormald 2020-2021: Logan McCutcheon 2019-2020: Zack Stringer 2018-2019: Carl Tetachuk 2017-2018: Dylan Cozens 2016-2017: Calen Addison 2015-2016: Egor Babenko 2014-2015: Stuart Skinner 2013-2014: Giorgio Estephan 2012-2013: Ryan Pilon 2011-2012: Sam McKechnie 2010-2011: Russell Maxwell 2009-2010: Mitch Maxwell 2008-2009: Austin Fyten 2007-2008: Luca Sbisa 2006-2007: Carter Bancks 2005-2006: Zach Boychuk 2004-2005: Chase Henitiuk 2003-2004: Michael Gulasi 2002-2003: John Lammers 2001-2002: Brent Seabrook 2000-2001: Tomas Kopecky 1999-2000: Simon Ferguson 1998-1999: Brandon James 1997-1998: Bart Rushmer 1996-1997: Matt Demarski 1995-1996: Luc Theoret 1994-1995: Travis Brigley 1993-1994: Brad Mehalko 1992-1993: Ivan Vologjaninov 1991-1992: Lee Sorochan 1990-1991: Jamie Pushor 1989-1990: Shane Peacock 1988-1989: Corey Lyons & Wes Walz 1987-1988: Jeff Ferguson Joan Kobal Memorial Award - Preseverance, Dedication & Sportsmanship The winners of the Joan Kobal Memorial Award is Tyden Lafournaise and Matteo Fabrizi. Lafournaise is a co-winner of the Joan Kobal Memorial Award. The Winnipeg, MB, product spent his first season in the WHL amassing 18 points (11g-7a) along with 17 penalty minutes on the ice. While off the ice, he spent countless hours volunteering his time at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen, school visits, minor hockey practices and the Chinook Regional Hospital. Lafournaise showed great perseverance after the unexpected passing of his father Marc during the 2025 off-season. Fabrizi was named the co-winner of the Top Defenceman Award. He recorded a career-high 23 points (5g-18a) along with 62 penalty minutes in 56 regular season games with the Hurricanes. The overage defenceman finished third in defenceman scoring for the 'Canes while serving as an alternate captain during the year. During the season, Fabrizi took time away from the hockey club on a personal leave and returned to finish his final year in the Western Hockey League. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Miguel Marques & Jordan Gustafson 2023-2024: Logan McCutcheon 2022-2023: Bryan Thomson 2021-2022: Alex Thacker 2020-2021: Justin Hall 2019-2020: Ty Prefontaine 2018-2019: Jordy Bellerive 2017-2018: Logan Flodell 2016-2017: Stuart Skinner 2015-2016: Giorgio Estephan 2014-2015: Giorgio Estephan 2013-2014: Tyler Wong 2012-2013: Michael Sofillas 2011-2012: Brady Ramsay 2010-2011: Brody Sutter 2009-2010: Austin Fyten 2008-2009: Craig Orfino 2007-2008: Nick Hotson 2006-2007: Jacob Dietrich 2005-2006: Jacob Dietrich 2004-2005: Brennan Chapman 2003-2004: Scott Bolland 2002-2003: Brett O’Malley 2001-2002: Tim Green 2000-2001: Ryley Layden 1999-2000: Brian Ballman 1998-1999: Eric Godard 1997-1998: Mike Varhaug 1996-1997: Bryce Salvador 1995-1996: Bryce Salvador 1994-1995: Bryce Salvador 1993-1994: Jason Widmer 1992-1993: Jason Widmer 1991-1992: Jason Widmer 1990-1991: Terry Hollinger 1989-1990: Pat Pylypuik 1988-1989: Peter Berthelsen 1987-1988: Peter Berthelsen Harry Ingarfield Memorial Award - Most Valuable Player The Harry Ingarfield Memorial Award winner as Most Valuable Player is Owen Berge. Berge had a breakout season in his first year with the Hurricanes amassing a career-high in goals, assists and points. He finished the year with 48 points (23g-25a) along with 36 penalty minutes. The Edmonton, AB, product led the team in goals (23) as the only 20+ goal scorer this season while finishing third in points (48). Berge collected 22 goals and 43 points in 53 games with the Hurricanes. He served as an alternate captain with the 'Canes. Past Winners: 2024-2025: Logan Wormald & Brayden Edwards 2023-2024: Harrison Meneghin 2022-2023: Jett Jones 2021-2022: Justin Hall 2020-2021: Dino Kambeitz 2019-2020: Dylan Cozens 2018-2019: Nick Henry 2017-2018: Jordy Bellerive 2016-2017: Tyler Wong 2015-2016: Brayden Burke 2014-2015: Tyler Wong 2013-2014: Brady Ramsay 2012-2013: Ty Rimmer 2011-2012: Damien Ketlo 2010-2011: Austin Fyten 2009-2010: Carter Bancks 2008-2009: Juha Metsola & Zach Boychuk 2007-2008: Mitch Fadden & Ben Wright 2006-2007: Zach Boychuk 2005-2006: Colton Yellow Horn 2004-2005: Brent Seabrook 2003-2004: Logan Koopmans 2002-2003: Jeremy Jackson 2001-2002: Nathan Barrett 2000-2001: Nathan Barrett 1999-2000: Jason Hegberg 1998-1999: Jason Hegberg 1997-1998: Mark Smith & Shane Willis 1996-1997: Byron Ritchie 1995-1996: Byron Ritchie 1994-1995: Todd MacIsaac 1993-1994: Domenic Pittis 1992-1993: Mark Szoke 1991-1992: Shane Peacock 1990-1991: Jason Ruff 1989-1990: Wes Walz 1988-1989: Wes Walz 1987-1988: Jeff Ferguson]]> Hurricanes End Season with 8-5 Loss to Hitmen in Calgary https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-end-season-with-8-5-loss-to-hitmen-in-calgary Sun, 22 Mar 2026 05:52:32 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-end-season-with-8-5-loss-to-hitmen-in-calgary Calgary, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes ended the season with an 8-5 defeat to the Calgary Hitmen at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday night. The Hurricanes entered the game on an eight-game losing streak as they wrapped up their 2025-2026 season. Calgary, who held their Awards Ceremony prior to the game, jumped out to an early 1-0 lead just 30-seconds into the game when Blake Vanek tucked home a rebound for his 18th goal of the season; Harrison Lodewyk and Axel Hurtig picked up the helpers on the goal. Calgary doubled their lead at the 4:38 mark when Caine Wilke buried his 15th goal lifting home a back-hand to make it 2-0. Under a minute later, the Hurricanes cut the Hitmen lead in half when Andrew Petruk buried his fifth goal of the season in his final WHL game to make it a 2-1 game; Mykolas Skadauskas and Kyle Heger earned the assists on the goal. Lethbridge tied the game at the 12:36 mark when Gavin Lesiuk ended a 14-game point drought with his eighth goal of the year to tie the game 2-2; Skadauskas and Kayden Longley were credited with the assists on the equalizer. The Hitmen pulled back in front with a goal on an odd-man rush when Ethan Moore ripped home a shot over the blocker of Leif Oaten to make it a 3-2 game. Just over a minute later, the Hitmen restored a two-goal lead with a power play goal by Ty Meunier scored his 12th of the year to make it a 4-2 Calgary lead after one period. The Hitmen outshot the Hurricanes 16-11 in the first period. The see-saw offensive battle continued in the second period as the Hurricanes pulled back to within a goal with a two-on-one goal by Lesiuk who shelfed a short over the glove on Eric Tu to make it a 4-3 game; Longley and Kyle Heger earned the assists on Lesiuk’s first ever two-goal game in the WHL. Lethbridge erased the two-goal deficit again just under a minute after the Lesiuk goal when Lukas Lima potted his second goal of the season as his shot deflected off a Hitmen defender and in to tie the game 4-4; Grady Pichette was credited with the lone assist on the tying goal. Calgary once again pulled back in front less than a minute later when Lodewyk chipped home his 17th goal of the season to make it a 5-4 Hitmen lead; Vanek and Keaton Jundt picked up the assists on the tally. Before the end of the period, the Hurricanes would once again pull even with a power play goal when Longley tapped home a back-door pass from Easton Daneault to tie the game 5-5 after forty minutes of play; Duell earned the second assist on the goal. Lethbridge outshot Calgary 11-9 in the middle frame. In the third period, the Hitmen pulled ahead with a goal at the 7:10 mark when Vanek buried his second goal of the game to give Calgary their fourth lead of the game making it a 6-5 score; Meunier and Ben MacBeath picked up the helpers on the goal. Lethbridge had a power play shortly after the Hitmen took the lead but failed to score with the extra man as Calgary remained up by a goal. The Hitmen struck again to take another two goal lead when Lodewyk netted his second goal of the game making it a 7-5 Calgary lead. Late in the game, the Hitmen added an empty-net goal for an 8-5 final when Keaton Jundt buried his 12th of the season. Lethbridge was outshot 11-8 in the third period by Calgary. The Hurricanes were outshot 36-30 in the game by the Hitmen. Lethbridge went 1/4 with the power play while Calgary was 1/1 with the extra man. Three stars of the game were the Calgary Hitmen overage players: 1) Hitmen - #18 Ethan Moore (1 goal, 1 assist) 2) Hitmen - #6 Axel Hurtig (1 assist) 3) Hitmen - #9 Harrison Lodewyk (2 goals, 1 assist) The Hurricanes end the regular season with nine consecutive losses as they end the year with a record of 17-47-3-1 on the season. Lethbridge ended the season with a road record of 6-25-3-0 this year while finishing their campaign with a 3-5-0-0 record against Calgary.]]> Hurricanes End Home Schedule with 2-1 Loss to Oil Kings https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-end-home-schedule-with-2-1-loss-to-oil-kings Sat, 21 Mar 2026 05:34:24 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/hurricanes-end-home-schedule-with-2-1-loss-to-oil-kings Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes suffered their eighth-straight loss on Friday falling 2-1 to the Edmonton Oil Kings at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. It marked the final home game of the regular season for the Hurricanes who entered with a 2-11-3-0 record in their previous 16 games. Lethbridge had a strong start to the game as they opened the scoring just 4:13 into the contest when Easton Daneault buried his 13th goal of the season to make it a 1-0 game; Matteo Fabrizi and Kade Duell earned the assists on the goal as the ‘Canes struck first for the third straight game. Edmonton tied the game at the 12:52 mark when Aaron Obobaifo ripped home his 17th goal of the year beating Koen Cleaver with a wrist shot over the blocker from the high-slot to make it 1-1; Kanjyu Gojsic and Austin Zemlak were credited with the assists on the goal. The Hurricanes were outshot 16-9 in the first period by the Oil Kings. Lethbridge had a strong second period as they pepped Edmonton’s netminder Parker Snell early in the period. The Hurricanes came close to taking the lead on a glorious opportunity for Lukas Lima who wired a shot just wide of the net just over four-minutes into the period. The Oil Kings took the lead with 6:04 remaining in the second period when Lukas Sawchyn buried a rebound for his 26th goal and team-leading 84th point to give Edmonton a 2-1 advantage; Kayden Stroeder and Adam Jecho picked up the helpers on the tiebreaking tally. The Hurricanes outshot the Oil Kings 11-9 in the middle frame. In the third period, the Hurricanes had a trio of power play opportunities including a four-minute double-minor man advantage after Daneault was clipped with a high-stick. The ‘Canes pressed for the equalizer with the extra man but couldn’t solve Snell as Edmonton managed to kill off the extended power play. The Oil Kings had a power play late in the game and peppered Cleaver with a barrage of chances, but the ‘Canes netminder made a quartet of wonderful saves to keep it a one-goal game. Lethbridge pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker with less than 30-seconds left in the game and came close to finding a tie, but Snell turned aside a Duell shot in the final seconds to preserve the 2-1 Oil Kings victory. Lethbridge was outshot 7-6 in the third period. The Hurricanes were outshot 32-26 in the game by the Oil Kings. Lethbridge went 0/5 on the power play while Edmonton was 0/2 with the extra man. Three stars of the game were the three overage players dressed in the game: 1) ‘Canes - #23 Matteo Fabrizi (1 assist) 2) ‘Canes - #26 Andrew Petruk 3) Oil Kings - #55 Austin Zemlak (1 assist) The loss for the Hurricanes ends their home schedule for the 2025-2026 season with a record of 11-22-0-1 on the year. Lethbridge’s record slipped to 17-46-3-1 on the season with the defeat as their losing streak extended to eight-straight games. The ‘Canes end the year with a 1-7-0-0 record against the Oil Kings. Lethbridge will conclude the 2025-2026 season on Saturday as they travel to face the Calgary Hitmen at 6:00pm at Scotiabank Saddledome. The game can be watched on Victory+ or heard on 106.7 ROCK.]]> GAME DAY: Hurricanes Welcome Oil Kings in Final Home Game of Season https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/game-day-hurricanes-welcome-oil-kings-in-final-home-game-of-season Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:05:51 +0000 Dustin Forbes https://chl.ca/whl-hurricanes/article/game-day-hurricanes-welcome-oil-kings-in-final-home-game-of-season Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes will play their final home game of the season tonight at 7:00pm as they welcome the Edmonton Oil Kings to the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. The Hurricanes (17-45-3-1) enter on a seven-game losing streak after suffering a 4-3 loss to the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday. Tyden Lafournaise, Kayden Longley and Matteo Fabrizi scored in the loss. Lethbridge outshot Red Deer 33-25 in the game, including 25-6 in the final forty minutes of play. The 'Canes enter tonight with a record of 11-21-0-1 on the home ice this season. The Oil Kings (43-18-3-2) enter with a 7-3-0-0 record in their last ten games after a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday at Rogers Place. Kayden Stroeder had a hat-trick while Adam Jecho and Landon Hanson added the other goals in the win; Ethan Simcoe made 23-saves in the loss. Edmonton enters tonight with a 20-12-1-2 record on the road this season. Tonight will be the final meeting of the season between the Hurricanes and Oil Kings; Lethbridge enters with a 1-6-0-0 record against Edmonton this season. Tickets for tonight’s game can be purchased by visiting the Yates Memorial or VisitLethbridge.com Arena Ticket Centre’s, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.visitlethbridgearena.ca. DOWNLOAD MEDIA KIT: 2026-03-20 - LET vs. EDM
VS. OIL KINGS: Tonight will be the final of eight meetings on the season between the Hurricanes and Oil Kings. The ‘Canes have posted a 1-6-0-0 record against the Oil Kings so far this season. Last year, Lethbridge went 4-4-0-0 against Edmonton. Over the last three seasons, Lethbridge has posted an 8-13-0-0 record against Edmonton. The Hurricanes are 53-58-4-4 all-time record against the Oil Kings. 2025-2026 REGULAR SEASON SERIES                     October 13th/2025 – at Edmonton (6-2 EDM) October 29th/2025 – at Lethbridge (8-6 EDM) December 16th/2025 – at Lethbridge (3-2 OT LET) December 28th/2025 – at Edmonton (5-2 EDM) December 30th/2025 – at Lethbridge (7-1 EDM) February 16th/2026 – at Edmonton (3-2 EDM) February 28th/2026 – at Edmonton (3-2 EDM) March 20th/2026 – at Lethbridge 2024-2025 REGULAR SEASON SERIES September 20th/2024 – at Lethbridge (3-1 LET) January 3rd/2025 – at Lethbridge (7-3 EDM) January 4th/2025 – at Edmonton (5-2 EDM) January 5th/2025 – at Edmonton (4-3 SO LET) January 26th/2025 – at Edmonton (2-1 LET) February 1st/2025 – at Lethbridge (2-0 EDM) February 15th/2025 – at Edmonton (4-3 EDM) March 21st/2025 – at Lethbridge (4-2 LET) 2025-2026 REGULAR SEASON STATS LEADERS: Goals (23) – Owen Berge Assists (39) – Easton Daneault Points (51) – Easton Daneault PIMS (106) – Gavin Lesiuk Plus/Minus (+3) – Oli Chenier Wins (10) – Koen Cleaver Shutouts (1) – Koen Cleaver & Leif Oaten Save % (.879) – Leif Oaten Goals Against Average (4.11) – Leif Oaten WHO’S HOT: - Kade Duell has points in 4 straight games (2g-2a); 7 of 9 games (4g-5a); 15 of 21 games (7g-11a) - Tyden Lafournaise has points in 4 straight games (2g-2a); 5 of 10 games (3g-2a) - Kayden Longley has points in 3 straight games (3g-4a); 4 of 5 games (4g-4a); 24 of 46 games (10g-24a) - Matteo Fabrizi has points in 2 straight games (1g-1a); 4 of 6 games (2g-3a); 10 of 22 games (4g-8a) - Owen Berge has points in 5 of 6 games (2g-6a); 7 of 10 games (3g-9a); 13 of 19 games (12g-9a) - Easton Daneault has points in 5 of 6 games (1g-9a); 8 of 10 games (3g-10a); 18 of 26 games (6g-21a) - Kyle Heger has points in 3 of 6 games (1g-3a); 5 of 9 games (3g-4a); 17 of 32 games (7g-14a) - Kai Anderson has points in 2 of 6 games (3g-2a); 3 of 10 games (3g-3a); 5 of 15 games (4g-4a) REGULAR SEASON MILESTONE WATCH: - Kayden Longley is 2 points away from 100 career points - Matteo Fabrizi is 5 assists away from 50 career assists - Gavin Lesiuk is 7 games away from 100 career games - Owen Berge is 11 assists away from 50 career assists - Owen Berge is 13 goals away from 50 career goals - Owen Berge is 14 games away from 200 games INJURY REPORT: - Brayden Smith: week-to-week (upper-body injury) - Nathan Maloney: day-to-day (lower-body injury) - Enzo DiDomenicantonio: week-to-week (lower-body injury) - Oli Chenier: indefinite (lower-body injury) NEWS & NOTES: Thru 66: The Hurricanes enter tonight with a 17-45-3-1 record (38 points) on the season after 66 games. The ‘Canes are 11-21-0-1 at home and 6-24-3-0 on the road. In 2024-2025, Lethbridge had posted a 40-19-4-3 record after 66 games. Lethbridge has posted an 0-5-1-0 record in the month of March. Final Weekend: Lethbridge embarks on their final weekend of the 2025-2026 season. The ‘Canes will play a pair of games, including their final home game of the year on Friday against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Hurricanes will end the season on Saturday night in Calgary against the Hitmen. Lethbridge has posted a record of 5-22-3-0 against Central Division opponents this year. Streak Snapped: Following a loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on March 7th, the Hurricanes were officially eliminated from contention for the 2026 WHL Playoffs. It marks the first time since the 2014-2015 season that the ‘Canes will not qualify for the post-season, ending a stretch of nine straight seasons booking a ticket to the WHL Playoffs. The streak of nine-straight years in the playoffs was a franchise record for the ‘Canes. Rookie Standout: Hurricanes forward Easton Daneault was named the WHL Rookie of the Week last week after amassing six ponts (1g-5a) in two games against Regina and Moose Jaw. The Red Deer, AB, product enters tonight sitting eighth in the WHL in rookie scoring with 51 points (12g-39a) while sitting fourth among 2008-born rookies across the league. Daneault also leads the Hurricanes in assists and points. Breakout Seasons: This year, the Hurricanes have had a whopping six veterans set new career-highs in points this season including Owen Berge (23g-48p), Kayden Longley (15g-47p), Hudson Kibblewhite (14g-29p), Oli Chenier (9g-24p), Matteo Fabrizi (5g-22p) and Carsen Adair (4g-16p) have all set new highs. Century Mark: Gavin Lesiuk enters tonight having amassed 106 penalty minutes in  games this year. The Duncan, BC, product is the first ‘Cane to hit the century mark in penalty minutes in a single season since Landen Ward finished the 2023-2024 season with 120 PIMS. Lesiuk is just the seventh Hurricane in the last 10 years to hit the 100-PIM mark. The most PIMS in a single season since the new rules in 2006-2007 was recorded by Cason Machacek in 2010-2011 when he racked up 183 PIMS while the all-time single-season record is held by Brantt Myhres who had 359 penalty minutes in the 1991-1992 season. Berge Burying: Hurricanes 19-year-old forward Owen Berge enters tonight having racked up 13 goals in his last 21 games – a 42-goal pace over a full 68-game schedule. The Edmonton, AB, product leads the ‘Canes with 23 goals this year while sitting second in points with 48. Since joining the Hurricanes, Berge has collected 43 points (22g-21a) in 51 games. He was acquired for an eighth-round pick in October. Surging Special Teams: Lethbridge’s special teams have been better of late. The ‘Canes power play has gone 24-for-90 (26.7%) in their last 26 games while having gone 7-for-25 (28.0%) in their last eight contests. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes penalty kill has gone 74-for-96 (77.1%) over the last 31 games while having gone 19-for-23 (82.6%) in their last eight outings.]]>