WHL Graduates Represent Majority of 2008-09 Canada West University Hockey All-Stars
The Western Hockey League is proud to announce that 15 of the 17 different players named to the 2008-09 Canada West Hockey All-Star teams, by the Canada West University Athletic Association, are WHL graduates. Of the 15 WHL graduates named all-stars, 12 are currently utilizing Western Canada’s Premier Hockey Scholarship, a combination of the guaranteed WHL Scholarship and additional financial assistance provided by each individual Canada West Men’s Hockey University.
Kootenay Ice alumnus and current University of Saskatchewan Huskies forward Steve DaSilva was amongst the 15 WHL graduates announced as a Canada West Hockey All-Star. DaSilva was the only player to be named to a Canada West All-Star team (1st) and to the All-Freshman team. Among the six players named 1st Team All-Star is WHL graduate and Canada West Conference leading goaltender (1.66 GAA), Aaron Sorochan of the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Six of seven conference teams are represented on the 2008-09 Canada West Hockey All-Star teams that were announced by the conference today.
The University of Alberta Golden Bears, which finished first in the conference regular season standings lead the way with six players selected to the conference’s three post-season teams, while the University of Saskatchewan Huskies have five selections. The University of Calgary Dinos had three players named to the all-star teams, while the University of Regina Cougars had two selections and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and University of Manitoba Bisons each had a single player named to the teams.
Eleven of the players named to the three conference all-star teams played, or were selected, to the Canada West Hockey All-Star team that won the silver medal at the recently completed 24th FISU Winter Universiade held in Harbin, China from February 18th to 28th.
The Canada West Hockey First and Second All-Star teams and All-Freshman team were selected by a vote of the seven Canada West Hockey coaches.
Aaron Sorochan of the Alberta Golden Bears was named the first team goaltender and was joined by defencemen Travis Friedley of Calgary and Alberta teammate Kyle Fecho. The forward line was composed of Saskatchewan’s Steven DaSilva and Steven Gillen and Chad Klassen of Alberta.
Sorochan led all CIS goaltenders with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage while compiling a 15-3-0 record in 18 games for Alberta, despite suffering an ankle injury in the opening game of the conference schedule. The fourth-year netminder missed all but 20 minutes of the Golden Bears’ first six Canada West Hockey games due to the injury but returned to the lineup to backstop Alberta to the lowest team goals-against average in the CIS, allowing only 63 goals against for a 2.25 goals-against average.
Friedley and Fecho finished second and fourth in scoring among conference defencemen this season. Friedley, a member of the Canada West Hockey second all-star team a year ago, scored 4-4-18 in 26 games to finish second in blue-line scoring while Fecho, a member of the 2006-07 All-Freshman Team, led defencemen in goal scoring and was fourth in points with 7-8-15 in 26 games.
The forward line was composed of three of the conference’s top five scorers. Steven DaSilva, the only freshman named to either the first or second all-star team, became only the fourth first-year player to win the Canada West Hockey scoring title with a conference leading 18-23-41. DaSilva topped the conference with his 18 goals and was second in assists with 23.
DaSilva was joined by Alberta’s Chad Klassen, who finished in second place in the scoring race and teammate Steven Gillen, who was fifth. Klassen scored 12 goals and a conference-leading 25 assists to finish four points behind DaSilva with 37 points. Gillen netted 11-19-30 in 25 games.
The Canada West Hockey second all-star team is composed of Manitoba goaltender Steve Christie, defencemen Derek Endicott of Saskatchewan and Jason Fransoo of Alberta and Golden Bears forwards Ben Kilgour and Derek Ryan and Kyle Ross of Regina.
Christie led the CIS in games and minutes played, playing 1,669:46 minutes in 28 conference games for the Bisons. The third-year goaltender was 13-15-0 with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, ranking third in Canada West Hockey in goals-against average and second in save percentage.
Ryan finished third in the conference scoring race with 16-19-35 in 25 games and finished second to DaSilva in goals scoring with his 16 goals. Kilgoour, one of two fifth-year seniors on the second team along with Saskatchewan’s Endicott, tied for seventh in the scoring race, averaging a point-per game with 13-13-26 in 26 games. Ross scored 8-13-21 in 26 games to lead the Cougars scoring list.
Alberta’s Sorochan is making his third appearance on the conference’s first all-star team, having been selected to the team as a freshman in 2005-06 and again in 2006-07. It is his fifth all-star team selection as the Golden Bears goaltender was a second team all-star in 2007-08 and was named to the all-freshman team in 2005-06.
Four other players join Sorochan as repeat selections, including teammates Fecho, Fransoo and Kilgour and Friedley of the Calgary Dinos.
Four of the twelve players named to either the Canada West Hockey first or second all-star teams have previously been selected to the conference’s All-Freshman Team. Sorochan and Friedley were named to the All-Freshman Team in 2006, while Fecho and Fransoo earned berths on the 2007 and 2008 teams, respectively.
Saskatchewan’s DaSilva earned his second post-season all-star team berth by being selected to the conference’s all-freshman team. The first-year forward was the only freshman to earn a position on either the first or second all-star team.
DaSilva is joined by Calgary goaltender Dustin Butler and defencemen Dylan Chapman of Regina and UBC’s Matt Pepe. Joining DaSilva on the freshman forward line is teammate Chris Durand and Brock Nixon of Calgary.
DaSilva led the conference scoring race with 41 points while Nixon was 10th in the conference and second among freshmen with 13-12-25 in 28 games. Chapman netted 5-12-17 in 28 games to rank third in scoring among Canada West Hockey defencemen.
To be eligible for freshman status, a player must be 21-years-old or younger as of December 31, 2008 and must not have played intercollegiate or professional hockey at any level prior to participating at his CIS school.
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2008-09 CANADA WEST HOCKEY ALL-STAR TEAMS
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SVS
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GP
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GAA.
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PCT.
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SO
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W-L-T
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FIRST TEAM
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POSITION
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CLASS
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HOMETOWN
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GP
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G
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A
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PT
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PEN-PIM
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Aaron Sorochan, Alberta
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Goaltender
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4 YR Senior
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Edmonton
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18
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1.66
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.937
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0
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15-3-0
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Travis Friedley, Calgary
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Defence
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4 YR Senior
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Delia, AB
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26
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4
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14
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18
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9-18
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Kyle Fecho, Alberta
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Defence
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Junior
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Hanna, AB
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26
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7
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8
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15
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6-12
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Steven DaSilva, Saskatchewan
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Forward
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Freshman
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Saskatoon
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26
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18
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23
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41
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11-22
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Chad Klassen, Alberta
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Forward
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Junior
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Saskatoon
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26
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12
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25
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37
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4-8
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Steven Gillen, Saskatchewan
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Forward
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Sophomore
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Kindersley, SK
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25
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11
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19
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30
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6-12
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SVS
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GP
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GAA.
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PCT.
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SO
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W-L-T
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SECOND TEAM
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POSITION
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CLASS
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HOMETOWN
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GP
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G
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A
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PT
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PEN-PIM
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Steve Christie, Manitoba
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Goaltender
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Junior
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Winnipeg
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28
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2.41
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.919
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3
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13-15-0
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Derek Endicott, Saskatchewan
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Defence
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5 YR Sr
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Saskatoon
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21
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5
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4
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9
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24-64
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Jason Fransoo, Alberta
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Defence
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Sophomore
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N.Battleford, SK
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26
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4
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9
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13
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10-20
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