Landon DuPont wins WHL Rookie of the Year Award
EVERETT, Wash. — Everett Silvertips defenseman Landon DuPont has officially won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for Western Hockey League Rookie of the Year.
“It’s a huge honor for sure,” commented DuPont. “What really mattered to me was our team and our year, how well we played together and how connected we were. We really had a special group in the locker room this year.”
DuPont, an ’09-born Calgary, AB native granted exceptional status for 2024-25, led all WHL and CHL rookies in scoring with 60 points in 64 games played this season. His 17 goals were ninth-most amongst league blueliners and the most by a Silvertip defenseman since Jake Christiansen’s 22 in the 2019-20 season. DuPont finished with a +31 defensive rating, third amongst all rookies.
Of DuPont’s 60 points, 27 came on the powerplay including 10 goals. He generated 201 shots on goal (an average of 3.4-per-game), second-most amongst rookies and fifth amongst all defensemen. He made history on Feb. 2 by becoming the first rookie defenseman to log 50 points in a season since Kamloops’ Scott Niedermayer (’89-90).
“I want to thank everyone else on the team for giving me people to look up to,” DuPont added. “The coaching staff and organization as a whole always gave me support, I couldn’t do it without them.”
The 5-foot-11, 179-pound righty continued his excellence in the postseason, as he logged five goals and 10 assists for 15 points and a +7 defensive rating over 10 Playoff games.
DuPont is the third Everett Silvertip to win the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, joining forwards Peter Mueller (’05-06) and Kyle Beach (’06-07). He is the first 15-year-old to win the award since Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats (’20-21). He is the eighth WHL defenseman to win the award and the first since Seth Jones (’12-13).
