Winterhawks defenseman Jugnauth awarded Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL Defenseman of the Year.
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Portland Winterhawks defenseman Tyson Jugnauth has been awarded the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for WHL Defenseman of the Year.
Jugnauth finished the 2024-2025 WHL regular season with 13 goals, 76 assists, and 89 points to lead all blueliners, 17 more than his next closest competitor. The second-year defenseman finished one point shy of joining former Winterhawk defenseman Luca Cagnoni as the only WHL defenseman since 1993-1994 to reach the 90-point mark.
The Seattle Kraken drafted the Kelowna, British Columbia, native in the 4th round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Portland acquired his rights from the Kamloops Blazers and signed him on December 7, 2023.
Jugnauth was a power-play specialist with six goals and 35 assists while the Winterhawks were on the man advantage.
First-year head coach Kyle Gustafson could consistently rely on Jugnauth’s production from the backend, and twice the overage defenseman had points in ten-straight games. December was a month to remember as he averaged two points-per-game with 20 points in ten contests.
While this award is a regular-season award, the 5-foot-11 rear guard continued to produce in the postseason. In the Winterhawks’ first-round upset of the Prince George Cougars, he set three franchise playoff records: points by a defenseman in a series (16), assists by a defenseman (14), and assists by any skater (14). Lastly, Jugnauth tied Keith Brown (1978-79) for most points by a defenseman in a single postseason with 33 playoff points and he ranks second all-time among Winterhawks defenseman with 49 career playoff points in 36 postseason contests.
The WHL also recognized Jugnauth as a Western Conference First-Team All-Star.
From the WHL’s announcement:
Jugnauth is the eighth Winterhawks skater and the first since Derrick Pouliot in 2014 to earn the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy.
The 20-year-old led all WHL defencemen in scoring with 13 goals and 76 assists for 89 points in 65 games. His 89 points saw him finish second in scoring on the Winterhawks and 13th among all WHL skaters.
Jugnauth ranked third league-wide in assists, trailing only WHL Player of the Year nominees Gavin McKenna (88) and Andrew Cristall (84).
The Kelowna, B.C. product also led the league with 35 power-play assists.
Jugnauth’s impressive season included a six-assist performance in a 7-2 win over the Vancouver Giants on December 7, 2024, helping him earn Tempo WHL Player of the Week honours.
This marks the second time since 1996-97 that a WHL defender has racked up six assists in a regular-season match. The last rearguard to achieve the feat is 2024 WHL Champion and Defenceman of the Year Denton Mateychuk of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who pulled off a six-assist night on March 19, 2022, in a 10-4 win against the Regina Pats.
Jugnauth is also a member of the 2024-25 WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team.
Originally acquired by the Winterhawks from the Kamloops Blazers, Jugnauth has tallied 130 points (20G-110A) in 106 career WHL regular season games.
He was also a driving force for the Winterhawks in the 2024 WHL Playoffs, where he recorded 16 points (4G-12A) to help Portland advance to the WHL Championship Series.
The Seattle Kraken selected the 5-foot-11, 171-pound blueliner in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
The Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy recognizes a WHL defenceman who has demonstrated the best all-around ability at his position during the WHL Regular Season.
Eastern Conference Finalists
Tanner Molendyk, Medicine Hat Tigers
Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge Hurricanes
Luke Shipley, Brandon Wheat Kings
Western Conference Finalists
Tyson Jugnauth, Portland Winterhawks
Mazden Leslie, Vancouver Giants
Viliam Kmec, Prince George Cougars
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