Former Winterhawks Captain Hanus named Player of the Year, WHL alumni sweep Canada West awards

Former Portland Winterhawks Captain Clay Hanus’ exceptional university career has hit new heights- and made school history- in 2024-25.

The Mount Royal Cougars defenceman has been named the 2025 Canada West Men’s Hockey Player of the Year.

Hanus, from Excelsior, Minn., has also won the Mervyn ‘Red’ Dutton Trophy as CW Top Defenceman for a second-straight year and the Dave ‘Sweeney’ Schriner Scoring Trophy as the CW Top Scorer.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗪 𝗠𝗛𝗞𝗬 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 ✨

Mount Royal defenceman Clay Hanus is our Player of the Year!

The former @pdxwinterhawks captain also received Top Defenceman and Top Scorer honours after a conference leading 43 point campaign 🫡 pic.twitter.com/l748Fp0LNV

— Canada West (@CanadaWest) March 4, 2025

The 23-year-old led all Canada West skaters with 43 points (12G-31A) in 28 games, helping the Cougars lead the West Division with a 22-6 record.

Hanus is the fourth-straight Mount Royal student-athlete and WHL graduate to be honoured as CW Player of the Year, following Connor Bouchard (Tri-City Americans ‘A’), Riley Sawchuk (Tri-City Americans/Edmonton Oil Kings) and Nolan Yaremko (Tri-City Americans ‘C’).

The award was announced ahead of this weekend’s Canada West Championship between the Cougars and the Saskatchewan Huskies.

Mount Royal scored three straight goals to eliminate the Alberta Golden Bears in Game 3 of the Semifinals to book their first-ever ticket to the Canada West final.

Both teams will also compete for the U SPORTS University Cup, which will be hosted by the University of Ottawa starting on March 20, 2025.

Western Hockey League graduates swept the conference’s major awards:

Player of the Year: Clay Hanus, Mount Royal Cougars (Portland Winterhawks ‘C’)

Goaltender of the Year: Roddy Ross, Saskatchewan Huskies (Seattle Thunderbirds / Regina Pats)

Top Scorer: Clay Hanus, Mount Royal Cougars (Portland Winterhawks ‘C’)

Top Defenceman: Clay Hanus, Mount Royal Cougars (Portland Winterhawks ‘C’)

Rookie of the Year: Sean Tschigerl, Alberta Golden Bears (Calgary Hitmen ‘A’ / Lethbridge Hurricanes)

Coach of the Year: Brandin Cote, Saskatchewan Huskies (Spokane Chiefs ‘C’)

Student-Athlete Community Service Award Winner: Blake Gustafson, Alberta Golden Bears (Red Deer Rebels / Saskatoon Blades)

UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy for Sportsmanship and Ability: Josh Prokop, Alberta Golden Bears (Calgary Hitmen ‘C’)

The Saskatchewan Huskies were also awarded the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy as the team with the fewest goals against through the regular season. Roddy Ross, Ethan Chadwick (Saskatoon Blades / Everett Silvertips) and Jordan Kooy (OHL- London Knights / Sarnia Sting / Oshawa Generals) combined for just 61 goals against and a collective goals-against average of 2.15.

Thirteen WHL alumni were named to Canada West’s All-Star and All-Rookie teams for 2024-25

First Team All-Canadians:

F- Connor Bouchard, Mount Royal Cougars (Tri-City Americans ‘A’)

F- Chantz Petruic, Saskatchewan Huskies (Moose Jaw Warriors)

F- Sean Tschigerl, Alberta Golden Bears (Calgary Hitmen ‘A’, Lethbridge Hurricanes)

D- Clay Hanus, Mount Royal Cougars (Portland Winterhawks ‘C’)

D- Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Alberta Golden Bears (Saskatoon Blades ‘C’)

G- Roddy Ross, Saskatchewan Huskies (Seattle Thunderbirds / Regina Pats)

Second Team All-Canadians:

F- Sasha Mutala, UBC Thunderbirds (Tri-City Americans ‘A’)

F- Brett Hyland, Alberta Golden Bears (Brandon Wheat Kings ‘C’)

D- Noah King, Calgary Dinos (Swift Current Broncos, Spokane Chiefs ‘A’)

D- Landon Kosior, Saskatchewan Huskies (Prince Albert Raiders ‘A’)

G- Tyler Palmer, Alberta Golden Bears (Victoria Royals, Everett Silvertips)

All-Rookie Team:

F- Justin Lies, Mount Royal Cougars (Vancouver Giants / Saskatoon Blades)

F- Brett Hyland, Alberta Golden Bears (Brandon Wheat Kings ‘C’)

F- Sean Tschigerl, Alberta Golden Bears (Calgary Hitmen ‘A’, Lethbridge Hurricanes)

D- Logen Hammett, Calgary Dinos (Brandon Wheat Kings, Vancouver Giants ‘A’)

D- Marc Lajoie, Alberta Golden Bears (Tri-City Americans ‘C’, Edmonton Oil Kings ‘A’)

G- Tyler Palmer, Alberta Golden Bears (Victoria Royals, Everett Silvertips)

 

For each season played in the WHL, a player is awarded a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which includes tuition, compulsory fees, and required textbooks.

In partnership with Canada West universities, numerous WHL Scholarship recipients each year are also awarded additional financial assistance from their university to receive Western Canada’s Premier Hockey Scholarship.

The WHL has awarded nearly 8,000 scholarships to graduate players since 1993.

The WHL is the leading supplier of hockey scholarships in Western Canada and offers one of the most comprehensive scholarships in North America.

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.

About Canada West

As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes who excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university-level high-performance sports programs throughout Western Canada.

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