WHL fuels Canada West conference All-Star & All-Rookie teams
Highlights:
• 16 of 18 players honoured as either Canada West men’s hockey all-stars, or all-rookies are products of the Western Hockey League
• The Canada West’s men’s hockey major award winners will be announced Thursday, March 2 at 2 p.m. MT
• The Canada West Men’s Hockey Final opens this Friday in Saskatoon at Rutherford Rink on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan and Alberta will meet for the 19th time in the conference final
EDMONTON – The connection between the Western Hockey League (WHL) and Canada West men’s hockey was on full display Tuesday, as the conference all-star and all-rookie teams were unveiled ahead of this weekend’s CW Final between Saskatchewan and Alberta.
In total, 16 of the 18 combined all-stars and all-rookies are graduates of the WHL, while the two players who didn’t lace up in Western Canada’s premier junior circuit are products of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
The 16 WHL graduates are making the most of their WHL Scholarship, which provides players with tuition, compulsory fees, and textbooks for each season played in the WHL.
The Canada West all-stars and all-rookies were selected by the conference’s eight head coaches, who also voted on the Canada West major awards, which will be unveiled Thursday, March 2 at 2 p.m. MT.
Highlighting the many WHL grads honoured by Canada West Tuesday were first team all-stars Jordon Cooke (G – Saskatchewan Huskies / Kelowna Rockets), Connor Rankin (F – Mount Royal Cougars / Calgary Hitmen), and Elgin Pearce (F – Calgary Dinos / Medicine Hat Tigers).
The trio led their respective teams to the conference semis last weekend, with Cooke’s Huskies advancing to this weekend’s CW Final, which will feature a combined six all-stars when the Huskies and Alberta Golden Bears open their best-of-three series Friday in Saskatoon at 7 p.m. CT. Game 2 Saturday and Game 3 Sunday (if necessary) are also slated for 7 p.m. CT.
All Canada West final games can be seen live on CanadaWest.tv
After crowning a conference champion, both Saskatchewan and Alberta will head to Fredericton for the U SPORTS University Cup, which runs Thursday, March 16 through Sunday, March 19 at the University of New Brunswick.
2016-17 CW Men’s Hockey First Team All-Stars
Name / Position / University / Year / Hometown / Last WHL team
Jordon Cooke / G / Saskatchewan / 3 / Leduc, Alta. / Kelowna Rockets
Jesse Forsberg / D / Saskatchewan / 3 / Waldheim, Sask. / Moose Jaw Warriors
Tim Campbell / D / Lethbridge / 5 / Thornhill, Ont. / Guelph Storm (OHL)
Elgin Pearce / F / Calgary / 4 / Port Coquitlam, B.C. / Medicine Hat Tigers
Connor Rankin / F / MRU / 2 / North Vancouver, B.C. / Calgary Hitmen
Logan McVeigh / F / Saskatchewan / 2 / Kenaston, Sask. / Kamloops Blazers
2016-17 CW Men’s Hockey Second Team All-Stars
Name / Position / University / Year / Hometown / Last WHL team
Steven Stanford / G / Calgary / 5 / Calgary, Alta. / Saskatoon Blades
Dylan Bredo / D / Alberta / 3 / Edmonton, Alta. / Medicine Hat Tigers
Kendal McFaull / D / Saskatchewan / 4 / Rosetown, Sask. / Moose Jaw Warriors
Anthony Bardaro / F / UBC / 4 / Delta, B.C. / Prince Albert Raiders
Jordan DePape / F / Manitoba / 4 / Winnipeg, Man. / Red Deer Rebels
Jamie Crooks / F / Alberta / 4 / Vermillion, Alta. / Victoria Royals
2016-17 CW Men’s Hockey All-Rookies
Name / Position / University / Hometown / Last WHL team
Matthew Greenfield / G / Calgary / Parkland, Florida / Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Jesse Lees / D / MRU / Calgary, Alta. / Prince Albert Raiders
Jerret Smith / D / UBC / Surrey, B.C. / Seattle Thunderbirds
Jamal Watson / F / MRU / Calgary, Alta. / Swift Current Broncos
Remi Laurencelle / F / Manitoba / Winnipeg, Man. / Everett Silvertips
Tyson Baillie / F / Alberta / Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. / Kelowna Rockets
About Canada West:
Canada West is the premier athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. Canada West and its 17 member institutions commit to a student-athlete experience where competitive excellence, scholarship and sportsmanship contribute equally towards moulding outstanding graduates and community leaders.
Canada West – Training leaders, building champions.
About the WHL Scholarship:
The WHL provides the top young talent in the west with the opportunity to develop their skills on the ice at the highest possible level, without compromising their academic goals. The WHL is committed to recognizing academic excellence. For each season played in the WHL, a player is awarded with a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which includes: tuition, compulsory fees and required textbooks. The WHL is also a leading supplier to U Sports hockey programs.
