2023 WHL Graduates – Winnipeg ICE
Throughout the month of July, WHL.ca will be featuring the WHL Graduates from the 2022-23 season in a 22-part, team-by-team series.
We continue with the graduating players who spent the 2022-23 WHL season with the Winnipeg ICE.
Connor McClennon
Forward Connor McClennon put up more than 300 regular season and playoff points for the ICE franchise, spending his entire WHL career with the Club after being selected second-overall by Kootenay in the 2017 WHL Draft. As a 15-year-old, McClennon skated in five games with the ICE in 2017-18, joining the team full-time in 2018-19, where he collected 29 points in 46 games as a rookie. The franchise’s first season in Winnipeg saw McClennon score 21 goals, totalling 49 points in 2019-20; for his efforts, the product of Wainwright, Alta. was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. McClennon continued to light the lamp with aplomb over his final three WHL campaigns, scoring 14 goals in 24 games during the shortened 2020-21 season, then 43- and 46-goal campaigns in each of the past two seasons as Winnipeg earned back-to-back WHL regular season crowns. In 2022-23, McClennon appeared in a career-high 64 games and put up a new personal best of 92 points. His 138 career goals and 284 career points ranked second and third, respectively, among ICE franchise leaders. McClennon added 44 points (22G-22A) from 34 career post-season games, scoring a team-leading 14 goals this past spring as Winnipeg reached the WHL Championship Series. McClennon will begin his professional career this coming fall with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
Transaction:
The Wolves have signed forward Connor McClennon to a two-year contract.
The Flyers’ sixth-round pick (No. 178 overall) in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft had 46 goals and 46 assists in 64 games with the CHL’s Winnipeg Ice (@WHLWpgICE) last season.@MidwestMoving pic.twitter.com/yfILDSin0d
— Chicago Wolves (@Chicago_Wolves) May 31, 2023
Owen Pederson
A fifth-round pick by Kootenay in the 2017 WHL Draft, forward Owen Pederson spent his entire WHL career with the ICE franchise. Hailing from Stony Plain, Alta., Pederson joined the ICE as a 16-year-old, scoring his first two WHL goals on back-to-back nights November 17, 2018 at Red Deer and the following evening versus Moose Jaw. His offensive potential shone through during the 2019-20 season; Pederson put up 28 goals and 50 points for Winnipeg, adding 31 more points from his 24 appearances during the shortened 2020-21 season. The League returned to a full-length schedule in 2021-22 and despite missing 18 games, Pederson still managed to tally 17 goals and 43 points as a 19-year-old power forward, adding 20 points during the 2022 WHL Playoffs as the ICE reached the Eastern Conference Championship series. His final season in Winnipeg was Pederson’s best, though. He scored a career-best 32 goals, 74 points, then helped the ICE reach the WHL Championship series in May, skating in 19 post-season contests. Overall, Pederson put up more than 200 points in an ICE uniform, recording 94 goals and 111 assists over his 237 career WHL regular season games. He’s set to turn pro in the fall with the Providence Bruins of the AHL.
Providence Bruins Sign Owen Pederson to Two-Year AHL Contract✍️https://t.co/OsYEdGyzZ2#AHLBruins
— Providence Bruins (@AHLBruins) May 30, 2023
Ben Zloty
Defenceman Ben Zloty spent four full seasons with the ICE after being selected in the sixth round of the 2017 WHL Draft. The Calgarian broke in full-time with Winnipeg during the 2019-20 season and proved to be a dependable point producer from the get-go, scoring four goals and totalling 27 points over his rookie season. Zloty led the ICE in defensive scoring for three straight seasons, starting with the shortened 2020-21 campaign, where he put up 17 points in 24 games. From there, he factored in with a 64-point season in 2021-22, upping his numbers to 13 goals and 81 points this past year to lead all WHL blueliners in both assists (68) and points. His +67 rating in 2022-23 was also third-best in the WHL. He earned WHL East Division First All-Star Team honours to close out his 20-year-old season, too. Zloty excelled in the playoffs, totalling 40 points over two full post-season excursions. This past spring, he led all WHL blueliners with 24 points, helping the ICE reach the WHL Championship Series. Overall, Zloty skated in 207 WHL regular season games, all with the ICE, during which he totalled 189 points (26G-163A).
🚨LACROSSE GOAL ALERT🚨
Ben Zloty of the @WHLWpgICE is the newest member to join the club! pic.twitter.com/Kf68RxMIl4
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 23, 2022
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