Rockets’ Gardiner named WHL Player of the Month for April
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Kelowna Rockets forward Reid Gardiner has been named the WHL Player of the Month for April 2017.
Gardiner, a 21-year-old product of Humboldt, Sask., registered 25 points (13G-12A) in 12 games as the Kelowna Rockets advanced to the WHL’s Western Conference Championship for the second consecutive year before falling to the Seattle Thunderbirds in six games.
In April, the veteran right winger put forth eight multipoint performances, highlighted by an outstanding six-point effort (4G-2A) on Friday, April 14 in a 6-2 win versus Portland. Additionally, the crafty winger registered a hat trick on Sunday, April 2 in a 4-2 win at Kamloops and another four points (2G-2A) on Wednesday, April 12 in a 7-2 win at Portland.
The 5-foot-11, 198-pound overage forward collected first-star honours on two occasions during the month of April.
Acquired by the Rockets from the Prince Albert Raiders prior to the WHL Trade Deadline on January 10, Gardiner returned to the WHL from the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins – to score 37 points (18G-19A) in 28 WHL regular season contests.
Originally a first-round selection (eighth) of the Raiders at the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft, Gardiner graduates from the WHL having secured 257 points (124G-133A) over 290 career WHL regular season games, along with 37 points (20G-17A) in 31 career WHL post-season outings.
WHL Player of the Month
September/October: Sam Steel, Regina Pats
November: Adam Brooks, Regina Pats
December: Tyler Wong, Lethbridge Hurricanes
January: Matteo Gennaro, Calgary Hitmen
February: Mathew Barzal, Seattle Thunderbirds
March: Adam Brooks, Regina Pats
April: Reid Gardiner, Kelowna Rockets
