[{"id":51570,"date":"2026-06-21T11:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T17:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51570"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:54:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:54:23","slug":"2026-draft-profile-kade-stengrim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/2026-draft-profile-kade-stengrim","title":{"rendered":"2026 Draft Profile: Kade Stengrim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2007-born forward Kade Stengrim was signed by the Tigers in June of 2025 and was quickly a force to reckon with.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“He\u2019s a power forward with a combination of size, speed, and a wicked shot that make him hard to defend. He\u2019s dangerous off the rush and has strength below the goal line protecting the puck and delivering reverse hits, bringing a unique edge to our lineup.” said Assistant General Manager Bobby Fox when Kade joined the Tigers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Kade is poised to make an immediate impact.” And he did.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 6-foot-4 left winger tallied 25 goals and 19 assists for 44 points in 66 games during his rookie campaign. Stengrim’s season really picked up towards the end and into the playoffs where his seven post-season goals were the third most on the team.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His rocket of a wrist shot is something that Tiger fans and Stengrim’s opponents have become very familiar with. The Brainerd, Minnesota native’s success in his first season in the orange and black ended with him ranked 93rd on the NHL Central Scouting’s Final Draft Rankings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regular Season<\/strong><\/td>\nTeam<\/strong><\/td>\nGP<\/strong><\/td>\nG<\/strong><\/td>\nA<\/strong><\/td>\nPTS<\/strong><\/td>\n+\/-<\/strong><\/td>\nPIM<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025-26<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n66<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n44<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoffs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

#93 – NHL Central Scouting (North American Skaters)<\/p>\n

#253 – McKeen’s Hockey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers organization is very proud of the hard work that Kade has put into his development and wish him all of the best at the upcoming NHL Draft!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft<\/a> will be held at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th. Days one and two of the draft will be streamed on Sportsnet in Canada, and ESPN+ in America. Be sure to stay tuned to our website and social media for additional coverage of the draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.   2007-born forward Kade Stengrim was signed by the Tigers in June of 2025 and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":923,"name":"Kade Stengrim","slug":"kade-stengrim","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":923,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":5,"filter":"raw","term_order":"43"}],"class_list":["post-51570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-kade-stengrim","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/16133329\/Draft-Profile-1920-STENGRIM.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51565,"date":"2026-06-20T11:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51565"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:44:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:44:04","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-profile-carter-casey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/2026-nhl-draft-profile-carter-casey","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Profile: Carter Casey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A free agent signing for the Tigers in June 2025, Carter Casey<\/strong> had a strong start to his Western Hockey League career this season. The 6-foot-2 goaltender posted a 3.02 GAA, .882 save percentage, and two shutouts in 28 regular season games. He finished the regular season with a record of 19-3-3-1 and had a post-season record of 3-3-0.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Throughout the season and playoffs, Casey picked up six WHL Save of the Night honours and was named the WHL Rookie of the Week on October 14, 2025.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCarter is a highly athletic and quick goalie. He shows excellent puck tracking and rebound control.” said Assistant General Manager Bobby Fox after the Tigers signed Casey in June 2025.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native made so much noise in his rookie season, he participated in the 2026 WHL Prospects Game and finished the season ranked 26th among North American Goaltenders in the NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regular Season<\/strong><\/td>\nTeam<\/strong><\/td>\nGP<\/strong><\/td>\nGAA<\/strong><\/td>\nSV%<\/strong><\/td>\nSO<\/strong><\/td>\nW-L-T<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025-26<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n3.02<\/td>\n.882<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n19-3-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoffs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n3.73<\/td>\n.889<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n3-3-0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

#26 – NHL Central Scouting (North American Goalies)<\/p>\n

#68 – Elite Prospects<\/p>\n

#93 – Daily Faceoff<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers organization is very proud of the hard work that Carter has put into his development and wish him all of the best at the upcoming NHL Draft!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft<\/a> will be held at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th. Days one and two of the draft will be streamed on Sportsnet in Canada, and ESPN+ in America. Be sure to stay tuned to our website and social media for additional coverage of the draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.   A free agent signing for the Tigers in June 2025, Carter Casey had a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":924,"name":"Carter Casey","slug":"carter-casey","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":924,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw","term_order":"44"}],"class_list":["post-51565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-carter-casey","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/15172411\/Draft-Profile-1920-Casey.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51562,"date":"2026-06-19T12:00:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T18:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51562"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:41:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:41:49","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-profile-yaroslav-bryzgalov","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/2026-nhl-draft-profile-yaroslav-bryzgalov","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Profile: Yaroslav Bryzgalov"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hailing from Minsk, Belarus, Yaroslav Bryzgalov<\/strong> made a statement during his first year in the orange and black.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally selected with the 60th overall pick of the 2025 CHL Import Draft, Bryzgalov signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Tigers in September of 2025. Through 64 games in the 2025-26 season, he tallied 13 goals and 42 assists for 55 points, finishing sixth on the team in points and fourth in assists.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 6-foot-4 left winger’s ability to use his size to battle for the puck and maintain possession made him a dangerous offensive threat. Bryzgalov went on the finish third on the team in playoff scoring with two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 15 playoffs games.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2007-born forward was ranked 90th overall among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings. He went on to make an appearance in the 2026 WHL Prospects Game where he tallied two assists for Team East.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Before the Tigers, Bryzgalov was with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL where he put up 17 points in 51 games. In 2023-24 he tallied 21 goals and 48 assists for 69 points in 52 games for Team Belarus U18.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regular Season<\/strong><\/td>\nTeam<\/strong><\/td>\nGP<\/strong><\/td>\nG<\/strong><\/td>\nA<\/strong><\/td>\nPTS<\/strong><\/td>\n+\/-<\/strong><\/td>\nPIM<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025-26<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n64<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n42<\/td>\n55<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n59<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoffs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

#59 – HPR\/Malloy<\/p>\n

#85 – Elite Prospects<\/p>\n

#90 – NHL Central Scouting (North American Skaters)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers organization is very proud of the hard work that Yaroslav has put into his development and wish him all of the best at the upcoming NHL Draft!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft<\/a> will be held at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th. Days one and two of the draft will be streamed on Sportsnet in Canada, and ESPN+ in America. Be sure to stay tuned to our website and social media for additional coverage of the draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.   Hailing from Minsk, Belarus, Yaroslav Bryzgalov made a statement during his first year in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51563,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":922,"name":"Yaroslav Bryzgalov","slug":"yaroslav-bryzgalov","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":922,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","term_order":"42"}],"class_list":["post-51562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-yaroslav-bryzgalov","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/15151737\/Draft-Profile-1920-Bryzgalov.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51554,"date":"2026-06-18T11:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51554"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:39:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:39:58","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-profile-markus-ruck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/2026-nhl-draft-profile-markus-ruck","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Profile: Markus Ruck"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The older of the Ruck twins, Markus Ruck<\/strong> turned heads this year as he finished his sophomore campaign with 108 points in 68 games. Ruck more than tripled his point from his rookie campaign, finishing the season with 21 goals, 87 assists, and 108 points in 68 games.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 6-foot Left Wing\/Center played the passer role on his line with his twin brother Liam Ruck<\/strong> and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha<\/strong> during the 2025-26 season. His 87 assists not only led the WHL, but was the sixth most assists from a Tigers player in a single season in franchise history. Ruck’s 38 power play assists led the league with Landon DuPont being the next closest at 28. It goes without saying that Markus’s playmaking and vision something special, but his defensive game put him on the top penalty killing unit for the Tigers this season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally drafted by the Tigers 21st overall in the first round of the 2023 WHL Draft, the Osoyoos, B.C. native has already began stacking his resume in his young career. The 18-year-old forward helped the Tigers to a WHL Championship and an appearance in the Memorial Cup Final in 2025. He also won a Gold Medal with Team Canada at the U17 World Challenge, and Bronze Medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Ruck thrived in his adjusted role in the 2025-26 season where he moved to the top line, helping his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Markus was also awarded with the CHL’s Top Scorer Award for leading the league in points and named to the WHL’s First All-Star Team.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regular Season<\/strong><\/td>\nTeam<\/strong><\/td>\nGP<\/strong><\/td>\nG<\/strong><\/td>\nA<\/strong><\/td>\nPTS<\/strong><\/td>\n+\/-<\/strong><\/td>\nPIM<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025-26<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n68<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n87<\/td>\n108<\/td>\n45<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024-25<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n62<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023-24<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoffs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026 Playoffs<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025 Playoffs<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

#16 – TSN\/Craig Button<\/p>\n

#23 – NHL Central Scouting (North American Skaters)<\/p>\n

#24 – Daily Faceoff<\/p>\n

#30 – Sportsnet\/Bukala<\/p>\n

#43 – Elite Prospects<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers organization is very proud of the hard work that Markus has put into his development and wish him all of the best at the upcoming NHL Draft!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft<\/a> will be held at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th. Days one and two of the draft will be streamed on Sportsnet in Canada, and ESPN+ in America. Be sure to stay tuned to our website and social media for additional coverage of the draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.   The older of the Ruck twins, Markus Ruck turned heads this year as he…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51555,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":802,"name":"Markus Ruck","slug":"markus-ruck","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":806,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"546"}],"class_list":["post-51554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-markus-ruck","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/12114728\/Draft-Profile-1920-Markus-Ruck.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51574,"date":"2026-06-17T10:08:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T16:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51574"},"modified":"2026-06-17T10:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T16:08:37","slug":"tigers-announce-2026-27-home-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/tigers-announce-2026-27-home-opener","title":{"rendered":"Tigers Announce 2026-27 Home Opener"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>The Western Hockey League announced it’s home opener schedule for the 2026-27 season Wednesday morning. The Medicine Hat Tigers will welcome their Highway 3 rivals, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, to Co-op Place on Saturday, September 19th, 2026 for their Home Opener.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This marks the first time since the 2022-23 season that the Tigers will face the Hurricanes for their Home Opener. The Tigers will open their 2026-27 season in the VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Friday, September 18th, 2026.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Season tickets for 2026-27 are available NOW! The deadline for season ticket renewals is June 19th, and fans looking to purchase season tickets or voucher packs can contact the Tigers office at 403-526-2666.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stay tuned to our website and social media as the rest of the 2026-27 schedule is released.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0The Western Hockey League announced it’s home opener schedule for the 2026-27 season Wednesday morning. The Medicine Hat Tigers will welcome their Highway 3 rivals, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, to Co-op Place on Saturday, September 19th, 2026 for their Home Opener.   This marks the first time since the 2022-23 season that the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51575,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-51574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/17100359\/2026-27-Home-Opener-1920.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51574"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51574\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51552,"date":"2026-06-16T11:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T17:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51552"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:38:30","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-profile-liam-ruck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/2026-nhl-draft-profile-liam-ruck","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Profile: Liam Ruck"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One half of the dynamic Ruck twin duo, Liam Ruck<\/strong> raised eyebrows across the hockey world with his incredible performance in his sophomore WHL season. Ruck more than doubled his points from his rookie campaign, finishing with 45 goals and 104 points in the 2025-26 season, good enough for the second most points in the CHL and tied for the most goals on the team with captain Bryce Pickford<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The one-two-punch of Liam on a line with his brother Markus Ruck<\/strong> proved difficult for Tigers opponents as the mirror twins complimented each other’s play styles perfectly. Markus the passer, and Liam with the NHL-ready shot that allowed him to tie for third in the WHL for power play goals and game winning goals. Whether it was a tap in from in tight, a redirection while screening the goalie, a one-timer on the power play, or a snipe from the outside, Liam was able to find the back of the net as long as the puck found him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While his offensive game is what pops out when looking at Liam’s statistics, his ability to defend in his own end and to find space in the neutral zone make him a multi-tooled player that’s hard for teams to overlook. Both Ruck twins played on the Tigers top penalty kill unit and the team finished with a penalty kill percentage of 78.6%.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally drafted by the Tigers ninth overall in the first round of the 2023 WHL Draft, the Osoyoos, B.C. native has since built up a strong winning resume. The 6-foot right winger helped the Tigers to a WHL Championship and an appearance in the Memorial Cup Finals in 2025. He also won a Gold Medal with Team Canada at the U17 World Challenge, and Bronze Medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. After taking on a bigger role on the top line for the Tigers in 2025-26, Ruck helped the team secure a second consecutive Central Division Championship and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Liam was also named to the WHL’s First All-Star team for 2025-2026, and participated in the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Game.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Liam’s hard work and great performance led to him being ranked 20th among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regular Season<\/strong><\/td>\nTeam<\/strong><\/td>\nGP<\/strong><\/td>\nG<\/strong><\/td>\nA<\/strong><\/td>\nPTS<\/strong><\/td>\n+\/-<\/strong><\/td>\nPIM<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025-26<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n68<\/td>\n45<\/td>\n59<\/td>\n104<\/td>\n47<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024-25<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023-24<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoffs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026 Playoffs<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025 Playoffs<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024 Playoffs<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

#10 – TSN\/Craig Button<\/p>\n

#16 – Daily Faceoff<\/p>\n

#20 – NHL Central Scouting (North American Skaters)<\/p>\n

#20 – Sportsnet\/Bukala<\/p>\n

#24 – Elite Prospects<\/p>\n

#25 – Sportsnet\/Cosentino<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers organization is very proud of the hard work that Liam has put into his development and wish him all of the best at the upcoming NHL Draft!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft<\/a> will be held at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th. Days one and two of the draft will be streamed on Sportsnet in Canada, and ESPN+ in America. Be sure to stay tuned to our website and social media for additional coverage of the draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0As we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th, the Tigers are highlighting some draft eligible players that are hoping to hear their name called on draft day.   One half of the dynamic Ruck twin duo, Liam Ruck raised eyebrows across the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":801,"name":"Liam Ruck","slug":"liam-ruck","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":805,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":23,"filter":"raw","term_order":"525"}],"class_list":["post-51552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-liam-ruck","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/11162239\/Draft-Profile-1920-Liam-Ruck.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51559,"date":"2026-06-15T12:21:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51559"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:24:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:24:29","slug":"pickford-named-chl-defenceman-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/pickford-named-chl-defenceman-of-the-year","title":{"rendered":"Pickford Named CHL Defenceman Of The Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>Tigers Captain Bryce Pickford<\/strong> was named the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year on Monday morning at the CHL Awards<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The CHL Defenceman of the Year Award is given out annually to the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League. Bryce Pickford of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) earned the honour after authoring one of the greatest goal-scoring seasons by a defenceman in modern CHL history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo by Josh Kim\/CHL<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens prospect finished the 2025-26 season with 83 points, including 45 goals and 38 assists, along with a plus-55 rating in 55 games. His 45 goals were the most by a CHL defenceman in nearly 40 years, dating back to Greg Hawgood\u2019s 48-goal campaign in 1987-88, and the highest single-season total by a CHL blueliner in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pickford was the only defenceman to finish among the CHL\u2019s top 10 goal scorers in 2025-26. His 45 goals were tied for second among WHL skaters, while his 19 power-play goals and 11 game-winning goals ranked tied for first in the CHL. The 20-year-old captain from Chauvin, Alta., also helped Medicine Hat claim a second consecutive Central Division title and was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With the honour, Pickford becomes the second Medicine Hat Tigers player to win CHL Defenceman of the Year, joining Kris Russell<\/strong>, who earned the award in 2006-07.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers would like to congratulate Bryce on this incredible achievement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0Tigers Captain Bryce Pickford was named the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year on Monday morning at the CHL Awards   The CHL Defenceman of the Year Award is given out annually to the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League. Bryce Pickford of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) earned the honour after…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":898,"name":"Bryce Pickford","slug":"bryce-pickford","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":898,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":21,"filter":"raw","term_order":"66"}],"class_list":["post-51559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-bryce-pickford","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/15121907\/Pickford-CHL-Defenceman-of-the-Year-scaled.jpg",2560,1708,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51557,"date":"2026-06-15T12:16:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51557"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:23:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:23:27","slug":"markus-ruck-named-chl-top-scorer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/markus-ruck-named-chl-top-scorer","title":{"rendered":"Markus Ruck Named CHL Top Scorer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0<\/strong>Tigers forward Markus Ruck<\/strong> was named the CHL’s Top Scorer on Monday morning at the CHL Awards.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The CHL Top Scorer Award is given out annually to the highest-scoring player in the Canadian Hockey League. It was first awarded in 1994. Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) captured the honour after leading the WHL and the entire CHL with 108 points during the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 18-year-old from Osoyoos, B.C., recorded 21 goals and a CHL-best 87 assists while posting a plus-45 rating in 68 games. His exceptional vision and playmaking ability helped drive a Medicine Hat team that led the WHL in goals, owned the league\u2019s top power play, and finished atop the Central Division.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Markus’ twin brother, Liam Ruck<\/strong>, finished second in both the WHL and CHL scoring races with 104 points, making Markus and Liam the first siblings in CHL history to finish first and second in league scoring in the same season. They also became the first brothers ever to place 1-2 in scoring within a CHL Member League.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Draft prospect became the first Medicine Hat skater since Linden Vey<\/strong> in 2010-11 to lead the CHL in scoring and just the second Tigers player to win the CHL Top Scorer Award. Ruck was held off the scoresheet just 12 times all season and recorded at least three points in a game on 11 occasions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Tigers would like to congratulate Markus on this incredible achievement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicine Hat, AB –\u00a0Tigers forward Markus Ruck was named the CHL’s Top Scorer on Monday morning at the CHL Awards.   The CHL Top Scorer Award is given out annually to the highest-scoring player in the Canadian Hockey League. It was first awarded in 1994. Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) captured the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":802,"name":"Markus Ruck","slug":"markus-ruck","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":806,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"546"}],"class_list":["post-51557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-markus-ruck","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2026\/06\/15121635\/Markus-Ruck-CHL-Top-Scorer-scaled.jpg",2560,1708,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51548,"date":"2026-06-09T09:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T15:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51548"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:46:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:46:21","slug":"pickford-oreilly-and-masse-named-finalists-for-the-chls-2025-26-david-branch-player-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/pickford-oreilly-and-masse-named-finalists-for-the-chls-2025-26-david-branch-player-of-the-year","title":{"rendered":"Pickford Named Finalist For CHL\u2019s 2025-26 David Branch Player Of The Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bryce Pickford<\/strong> of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), Sam O\u2019Reilly<\/strong> of the Kitchener Rangers (OHL), and Maxim Mass\u00e9<\/strong> of the Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens (QMJHL) have been named finalists for the CHL David Branch Player of the Year Award.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Formerly known as the CHL Player of the Year Award, the trophy was renamed in 2019-20 in honour of David Branch, who served as OHL Commissioner from 1979-2024 and CHL President from 1996-2019. The award is presented annually to the CHL player judged to have had the most outstanding regular season across the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The three finalists earned their place after being named MVP in their respective leagues. Pickford captured the WHL\u2019s Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, O\u2019Reilly won the OHL\u2019s Red Tilson Trophy, and Mass\u00e9 received the QMJHL\u2019s Michel-Bri\u00e8re Trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 recipient will be announced and presented with the trophy at the CHL Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15, in downtown Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Past winners of the David Branch Player of the Year Award include<\/span><\/a> Dale Hawerchuk (Cornwall Royals \/ QMJHL), Mario Lemieux (Laval Voisins \/ QMJHL), Joe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos \/ WHL), Eric Lindros (Oshawa Generals \/ OHL), Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Oc\u00e9anic \/ QMJHL), Connor McDavid (Erie Otters \/ OHL), Mitch Marner (London Knights \/ OHL), Connor Bedard (Regina Pats \/ WHL), Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors \/ WHL), and most recently Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers \/ WHL).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Nominee \u2013 Bryce Pickford\u00a0 (Medicine Hat Tigers)<\/b><\/a>
\n45G-38A, 83 PTS, +55 in 55 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bryce Pickford authored one of the most productive seasons by a defenceman in modern CHL history, becoming the WHL Player of the Year after a remarkable campaign with the Medicine Hat Tigers.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If selected as the CHL David Branch Player of the Year, Pickford would become the second Tigers player in as many seasons to win the award, following Gavin McKenna\u2019s 2024-25 victory. It would also mark the first time in CHL history that two different players from the same franchise have captured the award in back-to-back seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 20-year-old captain from Chauvin, Alta., finished the regular season with 83 points, including 45 goals and 38 assists, in 55 games. His 45 goals were the most by a WHL defenceman in a single season since Greg Hawgood scored 48 in 1987-88 and the highest total by any CHL blueliner in the 21st century. He finished just five goals shy of the WHL and CHL single-season record for goals by a defenceman, set by Saskatoon\u2019s Lawrence Sacharuk in 1971-72.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pickford would also become just the fifth defenceman to win the CHL\u2019s top individual honour, and the first since Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires in 2010-11. A Montreal Canadiens prospect, he was the only defenceman to rank among the CHL\u2019s top 10 goal scorers in 2025-26. His 45 goals were tied for second among all WHL skaters, while his 19 power-play goals led the league and his 11 game-winning goals finished tied for first.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pickford\u2019s season featured three hat tricks, a 15-game point streak, and two separate eight-game goal-scoring streaks, further underlining the consistency of his offensive impact from the blue line. His production helped Medicine Hat claim a second consecutive Central Division title, while he also earned WHL Defenceman of the Year honours and was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By winning both the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy and the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy in the same season, Pickford became just the fifth player in WHL history to be named both WHL Player of the Year and WHL Defenceman of the Year in the same campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A two-time WHL Champion, Pickford previously helped Seattle win the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2023 before playing a key role in Medicine Hat\u2019s championship run in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

OHL Nominee \u2013 Sam O’Reilly (Kitchener Rangers)<\/b><\/a>
\n29G-42A, 71 PTS, +20 in 56 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sam O\u2019Reilly was named the OHL\u2019s Most Outstanding Player after making an immediate impact with the Kitchener Rangers following a mid-season move from the London Knights.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If selected as the CHL David Branch Player of the Year, O\u2019Reilly would become the second Kitchener Rangers player to win the award, joining Justin Azevedo, who earned the honour in 2007-08.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 20-year-old from Toronto recorded 71 points, including 29 goals and 42 assists, in 56 regular season games. After producing 28 points in 28 games with London, O\u2019Reilly elevated his game in Kitchener, posting 43 points and a plus-31 rating over 28 contests to help the Rangers finish atop the Western Conference standings for the first time since 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of the biggest acquisitions of the OHL trade deadline, O\u2019Reilly brought veteran experience, leadership, and championship pedigree to Kitchener\u2019s lineup, quickly becoming a driving force for the Rangers in the second half.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, O\u2019Reilly also won 58 percent of his faceoffs and was recognized in the OHL Coaches Poll as the Western Conference\u2019s smartest player, best faceoff man, and best defensive forward. His ability to drive offence while handling difficult defensive assignments made him one of the OHL\u2019s most complete players in 2025-26.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

O\u2019Reilly became the first Rangers player to win the Red Tilson Trophy since Justin Azevedo in 2008, joining a franchise list that also includes John Tucker and Walt Tkaczuk. Over his OHL career, he has built a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that includes three OHL championships, two Memorial Cup titles, and 198 points in 191 regular-season games.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His standout season continued deep into the spring, as O\u2019Reilly went on to earn OHL Playoff MVP and Memorial Cup MVP honours. With that sweep, he became just the fourth player in CHL history to win regular-season, playoff, and Memorial Cup MVP honours in the same season, joining Brad Richards, Corey Perry, and Mitch Marner. He also helped Kitchener capture the Memorial Cup after winning the tournament with London one year earlier, making him part of a rare group of players to win back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with different teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

QMJHL Nominee \u2013 Maxim Mass\u00e9 (Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens)<\/b><\/a>
\n51G-51A, 102 PTS, +62 in 63 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maxim Mass\u00e9 was named the QMJHL\u2019s Most Valuable Player after leading the league in scoring and helping the Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens finish second overall in the standings.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If selected as the CHL David Branch Player of the Year, Mass\u00e9 would become the second Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens player to win the award, joining Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who earned the honour in 2001-02. He would also become the first QMJHL player to capture the award since Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re of the Rimouski Oc\u00e9anic won it in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mass\u00e9, the CHL Rookie of the Year in 2022-23, would also become just the sixth player to win both CHL Rookie of the Year and CHL David Branch Player of the Year, joining Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Oc\u00e9anic \/ QMJHL), John Tavares (Oshawa Generals \/ OHL), Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters \/ OHL), Lafreni\u00e8re, and Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers \/ WHL).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Anaheim Ducks prospect recorded 102 points, including 51 goals and 51 assists, in 63 games to capture the first scoring title of his QMJHL career, finishing six points ahead of Val-d\u2019Or Foreurs forward Philippe Veilleux. His 51 goals also tied for the CHL lead and made him one of only two players across the CHL to surpass both the 50-goal and 100-point marks in 2025-26.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mass\u00e9 surpassed the 100-point plateau for the first time in his junior career and recorded 30 multi-point performances, providing steady offence for one of the QMJHL\u2019s top teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mass\u00e9\u2019s all-around impact was reflected across several major categories. His plus-62 rating ranked second in the QMJHL, as did his 16 power-play goals and eight game-winning goals. Among players who appeared in more than 60 games, Mass\u00e9 also posted the CHL\u2019s highest points-per-game rate, averaging 1.62 points per contest.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In his fourth QMJHL season, Mass\u00e9 delivered the most productive campaign of his career while serving as the offensive catalyst for one of the league\u2019s top teams. The third-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2024 NHL Draft became the first Chicoutimi player to win the Michel-Bri\u00e8re Trophy since Francis Par\u00e9 in 2007-08, adding another milestone to one of the top individual seasons in the CHL.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pickford, O\u2019Reilly, and Mass\u00e9 are finalists for the CHL David Branch Player of the Year Award, presented annually to the CHL\u2019s MVP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":898,"name":"Bryce Pickford","slug":"bryce-pickford","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":898,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":21,"filter":"raw","term_order":"66"}],"class_list":["post-51548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-bryce-pickford","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/09103857\/1920x1080-Nominees4.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51546,"date":"2026-06-09T09:56:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T15:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/?p=51546"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:45:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:45:16","slug":"pickford-aitcheson-and-bleyl-named-finalists-for-chls-2025-26-defenceman-of-the-year-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/article\/pickford-aitcheson-and-bleyl-named-finalists-for-chls-2025-26-defenceman-of-the-year-award","title":{"rendered":"Pickford Named Finalist For CHL’s 2025-26 Defenceman Of The Year Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bryce Pickford <\/b>of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), <\/span>Kashawn Aitcheson <\/b>of the Barrie Colts (OHL) and <\/span>Tommy Bleyl<\/b> of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) have been named finalists for the 2025-26 CHL Defenceman of the Year Award, presented annually to the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The three finalists are the recipients of their respective league awards: the WHL\u2019s Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, the OHL\u2019s Max Kaminsky Trophy and the QMJHL\u2019s \u00c9mile-Bouchard Trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The winner of the 2025-26 CHL Defenceman of the Year Award will be announced at the 2026 CHL Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15 in Toronto, Ont.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Over the years, the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award has been won by several notable players<\/span><\/a>, including Chris Pronger (Peterborough Petes \/ OHL), Dan Hamhuis (Prince George Cougars \/ WHL), Keith Yandle (Moncton Wildcats \/ QMJHL), Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires \/ OHL), Dougie Hamilton (Niagara IceDogs \/ OHL), Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings \/ WHL), Thomas Chabot (Saint John Sea Dogs \/ QMJHL), Olen Zellweger (Kamloops Blazers \/ WHL), Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit \/ OHL) and, most recently, Sam Dickinson (London Knights \/ OHL).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHL Nominee \u2014 Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat Tigers)<\/b><\/a>
\n45G-38A, 83 PTS, +55 in 55 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bryce Pickford delivered one of the greatest goal-scoring seasons by a defenceman in modern CHL history, finishing the 2025-26 WHL campaign with 83 points, including 45 goals, and a plus-55 rating in 55 games.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His 45 goals were the most by a CHL defenceman in a single season in nearly 40 years, dating back to Greg Hawgood\u2019s 48-goal campaign in 1987-88. The total also left Pickford just five goals shy of the WHL and CHL single-season record for goals by a defenceman, set by Saskatoon Blades blueliner Lawrence Sacharuk, who scored 50 in 1971-72.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Among CHL defencemen, Pickford\u2019s 45-goal campaign stands as the highest single-season total of the 21st century, surpassing Marc-Andr\u00e9 Bergeron\u2019s 42-goal season with the Shawinigan Cataractes in 2000-01. The Montreal Canadiens prospect was also the only defenceman to finish among the CHL\u2019s top 10 goal scorers in 2025-26, while his 0.82 goals-per-game rate was the best among that group.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pickford\u2019s 83 points ranked second among WHL defencemen, trailing only Medicine Hat teammate Jonas Woo, who finished with 86 points. A constant offensive threat from the blue line, Pickford led all WHL skaters with 19 power-play goals and tied for the league lead with 11 game-winning goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 20-year-old from Chauvin, Alta., helped the Tigers claim a second consecutive Central Division title and was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team. He is the third player in Medicine Hat history to be named WHL Defenceman of the Year, joining Kris Russell, who won the award in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and Wayne McBean, who earned the honour in 1986-87. With a win at the CHL Awards, Pickford would also become the second Tigers player to capture the CHL Defenceman of the Year honour, following Russell in 2006-07.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pickford\u2019s season included three hat tricks, recorded on December 6 against Wenatchee, January 9 versus Seattle and March 4 at Brandon. He also posted one five-point outing and two separate four-point performances. From November 28 to January 10, he recorded points in 15 straight games, producing 36 points, including 20 goals, during that stretch.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He also enjoyed two separate eight-game goal-scoring streaks, scoring 14 times from December 3 to December 28 before adding another 10 goals during an eight-game run from February 21 to March 7.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pickford signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens on December 24, 2025. At the time, he led the WHL with 25 goals in 31 games. Montreal selected him in the third round, 81st overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

OHL Nominee \u2014 Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts)<\/b><\/a>
\n28G-42A, 70 PTS, +46 in 56 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kashawn Aitcheson put together a record-setting season in Barrie, leading all OHL defencemen with 70 points while establishing a new Colts franchise record for goals by a defenceman with 28.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His offensive production, physical presence and ability to impact the game in every situation made him one of the OHL\u2019s most complete blueliners throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Along with his 70 points, Aitcheson finished among the league leaders with a plus-46 rating and scored six game-winning goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound defenceman was especially dangerous on the power play, where his 15 goals led all OHL blueliners. He also thrived in an expanded role under first-year Colts Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz, contributing as a puck-mover, shooter, shutdown presence and physical force.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aitcheson\u2019s season capped an outstanding career in Barrie. The Toronto, Ont., native fin<\/span>ished as the Colts\u2019 all-time leader in goals and points by a defenceman, with 63 goals and 171 points.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Selected by the New York Islanders with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Aitcheson also stood out in this year\u2019s OHL Coaches Poll, placing first in Eastern Conference voting for best shot, hardest shot, best bodychecker and best offensive defenceman. He was also a member of Canada\u2019s bronze medal-winning National Junior Team this past January.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aitcheson becomes the third Colts defenceman to win the Max Kaminsky Trophy, joining Aaron Ekblad in 2013-14 and Erik Reitz in 2001-02. He was selected from a group of finalists that also included Frankie Marrelli of the Ottawa 67\u2019s, Chase Reid of the Soo Greyhounds and Carson Woodall of the Windsor Spitfires. Should he be named CHL Defenceman of the Year, Aitcheson would become the first Barrie player to win the award.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

QMJHL Nominee \u2014 Tommy Bleyl (Moncton Wildcats)<\/b><\/a>
\n13G-68A, 81 PTS, +58 in 63 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tommy Bleyl\u2019s historic rookie season with the Moncton Wildcats earned him the \u00c9mile-Bouchard Trophy as the QMJHL\u2019s Defenceman of the Year, adding to one of the most decorated debut campaigns in recent league history.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2026 NHL Draft prospect finished second among all QMJHL rookies with 81 points in 63 games, setting a new league record for points by a rookie defenceman. The previous mark of 77 points had stood since 1978, when it was set by Gaston Therrien.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bleyl\u2019s 68 assists led the entire QMJHL, regardless of position, finishing nine ahead of Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward Thomas Verdon and Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens defenceman Alex Huang. His 68 assists also stand as the highest single-season total by a CHL rookie defenceman in the 21st century and the fifth-highest total by any CHL rookie since 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Among QMJHL defencemen, Bleyl ranked first in points, power-play points and shots on goal, finishing 11 points ahead of Huang for the scoring lead among blueliners. His vision, poise and ability to drive offence from the back end quickly made him one of the league\u2019s most dangerous power-play quarterbacks and a key piece of Moncton\u2019s attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bleyl also became only the second player in QMJHL history to win both the \u00c9mile-Bouchard Trophy as Defenceman of the Year and the Sidney-Crosby Trophy as Rookie of the Year in the same season, joining Dmitry Kulikov, who accomplished the feat with the Drummondville Voltigeurs in 2008-09.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After helping Moncton capture a second consecutive QMJHL regular season championship, Bleyl ended the season with three league trophies, having also earned the Raymond-Lagac\u00e9 Trophy as Defensive Rookie of the Year. A win at the 2026 CHL Awards would make him the third Wildcats player to be named CHL Defenceman of the Year, joining Keith Yandle in 2005-06 and David Savard in 2009-10.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His standout campaign has also drawn significant NHL attention, as he is ranked 17th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pickford, Aitcheson and Bleyl are finalists for the 2025-26 CHL Defenceman of the Year Award, presented annually to the CHL\u2019s top defenceman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":599,"featured_media":51547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[844],"tags":[{"term_id":898,"name":"Bryce Pickford","slug":"bryce-pickford","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":898,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":21,"filter":"raw","term_order":"66"}],"class_list":["post-51546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-bryce-pickford","category-844","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/09110553\/1920x1080-Nominees-Defenceman.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-tigers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]