2024 WHL Graduates – Saskatoon Blades

Over the summer, the Western Hockey League will be celebrating the WHL Graduates from the 2023-24 season in a 22-part, team-by-team series. 

We continue with the graduating players from the Saskatoon Blades.

Easton Armstrong (F)
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
WHL Career Stats: 210 GP – 60G-39A – 99 points
WHL Draft: 2018 – Tenth Round, 214th Overall (Regina Pats)

From Southern California to Saskatoon, Sask., Easton Armstrong’s junior hockey career can be summed up as well-travelled. The SoCal forward was first selected as a tenth-round flyer by the Regina Pats, before spending time with the Winnipeg ICE/Wenatchee Wild franchise and the Saskatoon Blades. Armstrong made his WHL debut on January 24, 2020, and scored his first career goal on March 29, 2021. He spent part of four seasons in Regina, posting 34 points (20 goals–14 assists) in 121 skates. Following a trade in January 2023, Armstrong headed east to join the ICE, and, eventually, the Wenatchee Wild. Playing a combined 31 games with the two clubs, the Californian tallied up 12 goals, six assists, and 18 points. Armstrong was also present during the ICE’s post-season run that saw the club reach the 2023 WHL Championship Series. Just four games into his 20-year-old season, the power forward was on the move again. Acquired by Saskatoon as a means to bolster the Blades’ offence, Armstrong stepped into his expected role with ease. Finding an instant connection with his new linemates, the Los Angeles local boasted his best season to date – recording 56 points (34 goals–22 assists) in 62 games between the Wild and Blades. Armstrong was also a pivotal force in Saskatoon’s deep playoff run, totalling 14 points (six goals–eight assists) in 11 post-season games. This included the overtime winner in Game 3 of the First Round against the Prince Albert Raiders.

Good news: California native Easton Armstrong gets the @BladesHockey on the board while wearing these pizza-themed uniforms.

Bad news: Easton now has to drive 535 km to secure a delicious slice from his home state pizza place, California Pizza Kitchen. #CHLJerseyContest pic.twitter.com/H2Bipe99YM

— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 28, 2024

Trevor Wong (F)
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
WHL Career Stats: 265 GP – 72G-188A – 260 points
WHL Draft: 2018 – First Round, 18th Overall (Kelowna Rockets)

Trevor Wong’s WHL career is one that cannot be defined in a single word. A friendly face in the League since the 2018-19 season, the crafty forward will be most known for his leadership on and off the ice, his unparalleled sportsmanship, and his elite-level playmaking. Originally selected 18th overall by the Kelowna Rockets at the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft, Wong first came onto the WHL scene during his League debut on October 27, 2018. Despite making only four starts during his inaugural season, the product of Vancouver, B.C., still managed to score his first career goal in his final game of the season – finding the back of the net on February 2, 2019. The first three seasons of Wong’s junior hockey career were spent in the Okanagan, where he amassed 31 points (13 goals–18 assists) in 79 appearances. In September 2018, the forward found a new home in Saskatoon, Sask. after being acquired in a pre-season trade. Unbeknownst to both Blades and Wong at the time, the forward’s move to ‘Toon Town played a critical role in the success of the organization for the following three seasons. In just his first season with Saskatoon, Wong erupted on the scoresheet, hitting a personal best of 42 points (17 goals–25 assists) in 50 games. Yet, this was just the start for the two parties. Wong followed up his first campaign in Saskatchewan by netting 86 and 101 points in the following two seasons with the Blades. His 101 points (15 goals–86 assists) during his 20-year-old season marked the first time a member of the Blades hit the 100-point mark since the 1995-96 season. His 86 points also led the entire Western League. Wong, an East Division First Team All-Star for the 2023-24 season, exits the WHL with 260 points in 265 career games.

Captain Trevor Wong, checking in 🫡@BladesHockey | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/v0knAfrdU4

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 2, 2024

Charlie Wright (D)
Hometown: Olds, Alta.
WHL Career Stats: 256 GP – 15G-89A – 104 points
WHL Draft: 2018 – Fourth Round, 70th Overall (Saskatoon Blades)

For the first time in five seasons, Charlie Wright will not return to the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Sask., having recently departed the WHL as a 20-year-old graduate. Wright, a product of Olds, Alta., spent the duration of his junior hockey career in ‘Blade City,’ suiting up in the Club’s blue and gold uniforms on 256 occasions. He is the only member of the Blades’ recent graduating class to reside in Saskatoon for the duration of their WHL stint. The blueliner joined the Blades cohort after hearing his name called in the fourth round (70th overall) of the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft. His Western League debut came on September 27, 2019, and his first career point came four games later – recording an assist in a 3-1 loss at the claws of the Medicine Hat Tigers. In total, Wright recorded 15 goals, 89 assists, and 104 points in his 250-plus skates with the Raiders, but no season was more impressive than his fifth and final campaign. Netting 35 points (five goals–30 assists) in 68 games, Wright capped off his season – and junior hockey career – with an appearance in the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship and was named a Second Team All-Star for the East Division. He also attended the Seattle Kraken’s 2024 development camp in July.

All right, all right, ALL WRIGHT!

The @BladesHockey take the lead early into the third period!#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/cyJ6ShIsAt

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 5, 2024