10 WHL GRADS TO BATTLE IN STANLEY CUP FINAL

Calgary, AB — The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks are set to meet up in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, with 10 WHL Graduates set to participate among the two Clubs.

The NHL’s Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks boast four WHL grads who have helped the team reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1994.

Three former WHL players have patrolled the blue line for the Canucks in the post-season including Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, and Aaron Rome. Edler played for the Kelowna Rockets during the 2005-06 season before making the jump to the NHL with the Canucks. Hamhuis, who is in his first season with the Canucks after six years with Nashville, played four seasons for the Prince George Cougars from 1998-2002 and was named the WHL Defenseman of the Year in 2002. Rome spent five years in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades, Kootenay Ice, Swift Current Broncos and Moose Jaw Warriors.

Up front, the Canucks have one former WHL player, Jannik Hansen, who spent the 2005-06 season playing for the Portland Winterhawks. The Danish winger scored 24 goals and 64 points in 64 games for the Hawks that year.

The NHL’s Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins feature six WHL graduates who have seen action during the 2011 playoffs.

The Bruins are captained by former Prince George Cougar Zdeno Chara. The 6’9”, 255-lb defenseman was the 2008 Norris Trophy winner and is nominated for the award again this season. Joining Chara on the Bruins’ blue line are former Portland Winterhawks rearguard Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk, who played for the Calgary Hitmen and Moose Jaw Warriors. Shane Hnidy, a former member of the Swift Current Broncos and Prince Albert Raiders, has appeared in three post-season contests for the Bruins.

Up front, the Bruins feature a pair of former WHL stars. Milan Lucic (Pictured), a fan favorite in Boston, helped the Vancouver Giants win the WHL title in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007. Mark Recchi, a former player and now part-owner of the Kamloops Blazers, is looking for his third Stanley Cup ring, having won in 1991 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and again in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, the AHL’s Calder Cup Final features 15 WHL graduates between the Houston Aeros and the Binghamton Senators.

The Aeros boast eight WHL grads who helped the team capture the AHL Western Conference Championship including former Saskatoon Blades Colton Gillies and Warren Peters, former Kelowna Rocket Cody Almond and current Rocket Brett Bulmer, former Calgary Hitmen forward Carson McMillan, former Spokane Chiefs teammates Jared Spurgeon and Justin Falk, and former Vancouver Giant and Kamloops Blazer Matt Kassian.

The Senators feature seven WHL grads who led the team to the AHL Eastern Conference Championship including former Saskatoon Blade Ryan Keller, former Swift Current Bronco Zack Smith, former Red Deer Rebel and Lethbridge Hurricane Roman Wick, former Seattle Thunderbird Jim O’Brien, current Spokane Chief Jared Cowen, former Regina Pat and Vancouver Giant Craig Schira, and former Spokane Chiefs and Calgary Hitmen netminder Barry Brust.

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