Leadership groups named ahead of 2024 WHL Cup

Red Deer, Alta.- ‘C’ you in Red Deer!

Canada’s four western provinces have named their captains and alternates ahead of this week’s WHL Cup.

The Tri-City Americans lead the way with four prospects wearing a letter, while the Victoria Royals have two prospects recognized as captains for their respective teams.

The tournament sees top WHL prospects from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan go head-to-head in a round-robin format at the Peavey Mart Centrium, home of the Red Deer Rebels.

Manitoba claimed its first gold medal at the event in 2023 and kicks off its title defence against British Columbia at 4:15 p.m. MST on Wednesday, October 23.

The full tournament schedule is available here.

Tickets for all games are available at the door and will be streamed for free at Watch.CHL.ca/WHL.

 

Alberta

C- Ben Harvey (F)

A- Aden Bouchard (D)

A- Brock England (F)

A- Crew Martinson (F)

Prince Albert traded up to select Captain Ben Harvey fourth overall in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. The 5-foot-10, 168-pound Edmonton Jr. Oilers Orange forward is currently tied for second in goals among all AEHL skaters with seven in eight games, including two game-winning tallies to help his team sit first in the North Division standings. Bouchard was taken by the Tri-City Americans with the third overall pick and leads all defencemen on the Calgary International Hockey Academy’s U18 Prep squad with three assists in five outings. His fellow Ams pick, Crew Martinson, has two goals and four assists in eight games with the AEHL’s Red Deer Optimist Chiefs. England, the 11th overall selection by the Seattle Thunderbirds in this year’s Draft, has picked up from where he left off in the CSSHL U18 Prep playoffs by netting four goals and four assists in seven games with Calgary’s Edge School.

 

British Columbia

C- Koltin Herfst (D)

A- Eddy Spytz (F)

A- Alexander Laing (F)

The Victoria Royals chose 6-foot, 174-pound defenceman Koltin Herfst with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. The Chilliwack, B.C. product has two goals in his first eight games at the U18AAA level with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. Spytz ranks fourth in assists for the CSSHL’s St. George’s School with four apples and three goals in nine games. A 5-foot-10, 165-pound forward, Spytz was drafted by the Everett Silvertips in the third round, 51st overall. Another Tri-City pick, Alexander Laing has excelled on the powerplay with two of his three goals with Delta Hockey Academy coming on the man-advantage.

 

Manitoba

C- Ludovic Perreault (F)

A- Hudson Champagne (F)

A- Linkin Stadnek (D)

The second Royals prospect to be named Captain at the 2024 WHL Cup, Ludovic Perreault is tied for the MU18HL lead in game-winning goals with three in eight games. The 2024 18th overall pick has a total of five goals and six assists for 11 points in his first season at the U18 level. Champagne, a 6-foot, 185-pound forward from Brandon, Man., has four helpers for the U18AAA Wheat Kings after going to Tri-City 127th overall in the sixth round. The Kelowna Rockets picked up blueliner Linkin Stadnek with the 93rd overall pick in the fifth round in the spring. Stadnek has three helpers in seven matches with the Okanagan Hockey Academy this season.

 

Saskatchewan

C- Boston Tait (D)

A- Blake Chorney (F)

A- Carter Moen (F)

A- Kayden Stroeder (F)

Boston Tait made history in the spring as the first-ever WHL draft pick of the Wenatchee Wild when the team called his name with the 12th overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound defenceman has three assists with the SMAAHL-leading Regina Pat Canadians. The Vancouver Giants called Blake Chorney at 10th overall. The Nipawin, Sask. product is off to a monster start with the Saskatoon Blazers with six goals and seven assists for 13 points in six games- ranking sixth in points among all SMAAHL skaters despite playing the fewest games of any player in the top 10. 2024 fifth-overall pick Kayden Stroeder, an Edmonton Oil Kings prospect, is in the 10th position with five goals and six assists for 11 points in seven games for the Saskatoon Contacts. Rounding out Saskatchewan’s leadership group is 5-foot-11, 161-pound forward Carter Moen, whose father, Travis, played 12 seasons in the NHL. Swift Current picked up the younger Moen with the 17th overall pick and he’s since registered four goals and seven assists for 11 points with the Swift Current Legionnaires, who sit second in the SMAAHL standings.