2024-25 WHL Midseason Player Survey

As the 2024-25 WHL season approaches the midway mark, 328 players from all 22 clubs shared their votes for top positional players, the toughest arena to play in as the road team and who they think will take home the 2025 WHL Championship.

Results will be unveiled daily leading up to Boxing Day. 

RESULTS

What is the most difficult building to play in as the road team?

More than 94,000 fans (and their cowbells) have piled into Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. so far this season, earning 83 votes from WHLers. The Silvertips are also 12-3-1-1, earning 26 of their 53 points inside AOTW’s friendly confines.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes currently boast the best winning percentage at home in the WHL with a 13-2-1-0 record (.844).

Honourable Mentions:

6. Toyota Centre (Tri-City Americans)- 6.7%

7. Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane Chiefs)- 4.9%

8. Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland Winterhawks)- 4.6%

Other- 19%

Who do you think will win the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year?

The Western Hockey League’s first exceptional status defenceman is exactly as advertised. With six goals and 26 assists for 32 points in 29 games, DuPont is fourth in rookie scoring across the CHL and leads all first-year blueliners. DuPont’s impressive +20 rating also helped him capture 123 votes from his peers. Spoiler alert, this is the biggest margin of victory you’ll see in this year’s survey. Tri-City Americans forward Gavin Garland is the only WHL rookie with more points than the Silvertips star (18G-17A-35PTS). Garland aside, the voting is filled with an impressive crop of young defenders.

No defenceman has captured WHL Rookie of the Year honours since Chicago Blackhawks alternate captain Seth Jones (Portland Winterhawks) in 2012-13. Only six rearguards have won the award since 1966-67.

Honourable mentions:

6. Lukas Sawchyn (Edmonton Oil Kings)- 4.3%

7. Tommy Lafreniere (Kamloops Blazers)- 4.3%

8. Jaxon Jacobson (Brandon Wheat Kings)- 3.1%

9. Cooper Williams (Saskatoon)- 3.1%

Other- 6.3%

***Four players nominated twins Liam and Markus Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers) as co-winners.

Who do you think will be the WHL’s top goal scorer in 2024-25?

Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Cameron Schmidt pulled past Medicine Hat Tigers star Gavin McKenna and Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall with 87 votes across the league. The Vancouver Giants standout currently has 24 goals in 26 games and is tied for third in goals despite playing the second-fewest games of any skater in the top five. Schmidt is three goals behind Spokane veteran Shea Van Olm, who is currently pacing the WHL with 27 tallies in 32 matches. Should Schmidt continue his impressive scoring run, he’d become the first Vancouver Giants player to lead the league in goals.

Honourable mentions:

6. Hunter St. Martin (Medicine Hat Tigers)- 4.3%

7. Carter Bear (Everett Silvertips)- 4%

8. Emmitt Finnie (Kamloops Blazers)- 3.7%

Other- 6%

Who do you think will win the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy as WHL Goaltender of the Year?

The Gardfather reigns.

Saskatoon Blades netminder Evan Gardner earned the lion’s share of votes with 57. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect and 2024 WHL Rookie of the Year nominee has gone above and beyond in his first full season as the starter for the Blades with a 13-7-2-0 record, a 2.85 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and one shutout.  Gardner ranks third in save percentage and fourth in goals against average while facing the sixth-most shots of all WHL netminders.

Honourable mentions:

6: Dawson Cowan (Spokane Chiefs)- 6.5%

7: Alex Worthington (Edmonton Oil Kings)- 6.2%

8: Dylan Ernst (Kamloops Blazers)- 5.8%

9. Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds)- 4.9%

Other: 13.5%

Who do you think will win the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL Defenceman of the Year?

Holy Moly!

Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk skated through the survey with 97 votes. WHL opponents are probably thankful the Blades star will miss some time in Saskatoon as he fights to return Canada to the podium at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship (along with Seattle Kraken prospect and Kelowna Rockets standout Caden Price). While he doesn’t lead the pack in terms of pure offensive output (Molendyk currently has four goals and 17 assist for 21 points in 21 games), his smooth skating and defensive composure make him a fantastic addition to any defensive corps. In a close second and third are offensive juggernauts Carter Yakemchuk, the Ottawa Senator’s 2024 seventh-overall pick who recently set a Hitmen franchise record for goals by a defenceman, and Portland’s Tyson Jugnauth, the Kraken pick pacing all WHL blueliners in scoring with 42 points (6G-36A) in 30 games.

Honourable Mentions:

6. Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat Tigers)- 5.5%

7. Lukas Dragicevic (Prince Albert Raiders)- 5.2%

8. Noah Chadwick (Lethbridge Hurricanes)- 4.9%

9. Justin Kipkie (Victoria Royals)- 4%

Other- 7.5%

Who do you think will capture the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as 2024-25 Regular Season Champions?

With a blistering 25-5-2-1 record, 151 goals for and a measly 79 goals against, the Everett Silvertips are the team to beat in the regular season with 184 votes. Nine points separate the ‘Tips and the second-overall team and survey runner-up, the Spokane Chiefs (22-11-0-0). Everett’s only Scotty Munro win (and only 50+-win season) came in 2006-07 after a dominant 54-15-1-2 run. Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Calgary round out the top five as key players in a logjammed Eastern Conference. Only six points separate first-place Medicine Hat (19-14-1-0) from the ninth-place Red Deer Rebels (15-14-1-2).

Honourable Mentions:

6. Saskatoon Blades- 4%

7. Tri-City Americans- 3.7%

8. Prince George Cougars- 2.8%

Other- 13%

Who do you think will lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup as 2025 WHL Champions?

While Everett has never missed the playoffs since joining the WHL in 2003-04, they have never won a WHL Championship. The Silvertips reached the Championship Series in 2004 and 2018. Could this be the year? The second-place player favourite, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, last lifted the cup in 1996-97, when they were led by longtime NHLer Byron Ritchie. Ritchie’s son, Ryder, and the Medicine Hat Tigers clocked in at third with 7.1% of the vote. The Tabbies most recently won their fifth championship in 2006-07, a famed showdown against the Vancouver Giants that saw the Western League titans clash again in the Memorial Cup final.

Honourable Mentions:

6. Prince George Cougars- 5.2%

7. Prince Albert Raiders- 4.6%

8. Swift Current Broncos- 4%

9. Tri-City Americans- 3.7%

Other- 29.8%

Who do you think will win the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year?

So, anyone catch the World Juniors last night?

WHL netminders can breathe a sigh of relief as reigning WHL Rookie of the Year Gavin McKenna turns his attention to the international stage for the time being. The 17-year-old scored Canada’s first goal- which also stood as the game-winner- in Canada’s tournament-opening 4-0 defeat of Finland at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Fellow WHLer-voted Player of the Year nominees Berkly Catton and Brayden Yager are fighting to help Canada return to the podium in Ottawa. The Medicine Hat Tigers star earned 108 votes from his peers. Notably, McKenna and Vancouver Giants forward Cameron Schmidt are the only players not currently drafted by NHL teams (2026 and 2025 eligible, for those keeping track) to finish in the top 10 of this survey.

Honourable Mentions:

6. Riley Heidt (Prince George Cougars)- 5.2%
7. Clarke Caswell (Swift Current Broncos)- 5.2%
8. Gracyn Sawchyn (Edmonton Oil Kings)- 4.6%
9. Emmitt Finnie (Kamloops Blazers)- 4.6%