San Jose Sharks prospect Cagnoni named Tempo WHL Player of the Week
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Luca Cagnoni of the Portland Winterhawks has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 21, 2024.
The defenceman led all WHLers in points with a goal and seven assists in four games as the Winterhawks went 3-1-0-0.
Cagnoni opened the week with a pair of assists in a 7-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. The Burnaby, B.C. product helped his side get on the board by holding the line on a powerplay and wiring a pass to Josh Davies for the game-opening goal. Late in the first period, a Cagnoni blast from the blue line would get tangled up in front of the net for Josh Zakreski to bury the rebound.
The 19-year-old served up another trio of beautiful assists the next game out against the Kelowna Rockets. Cagnoni connected with Nate Danielson down low for the Detroit Red Wings prospect’s first goal in a Portland uniform. He added two more helpers before Danielson returned the favour by teeing Cagnoni up for a sensation one-timer goal on the powerplay. Cagnoni’s ninth lamp-lighter of the year would stand as the game-winner as he earned first star of the night in a 5-4 Portland victory.
Cagnoni continued his hot streak up north as the Winterhawks traveled to Prince George for a back-to-back showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference. Trailing 1-0, Cagnoni leveled the game by firing another powerplay shot on net, with Captain Gabe Klassen on the Cougars’ doorstep to tap the puck home. The Winterhawks would fall 3-2 but reversed their fate the following night. Cagnoni would earn his seventh assist of the week as Nate Danielson buried a rebound to open the scoring in an eventual 2-1 victory.
The Winterhawks veteran is on a seven-game point streak that’s seen him put up two goals and 10 assists. He’s on pace for a career-best offensive season with nine goals, 45 assists and a plus-30 rating in 40 games, which has him sitting second in the defenceman points race.
Cagnoni was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round, 123rd overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Portland (28-11-2-1) is second in the U.S. Division and second in the WHL with a .702 win percentage.
The Winterhawks are back in action against Tri-City (17-23-2-1) on January 26 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash.
2023-24 Tempo WHL Player of the Week
January 15, 2024: Matthew Savoie, Moose Jaw Warriors (Buffalo Sabres)
January 2, 2024: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers
January 2, 2024: Chase Bertholet, Spokane Chiefs
December 18, 2023: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
December 4, 2023: Dominik Rymon, Everett Silvertips
December 4, 2023: Conor Geekie, Wenatchee Wild (Arizona Coyotes)
November 27, 2023: Andrew Basha, Medicine Hat Tigers
November 20, 2023: Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars (Los Angeles Kings)
November 13, 2023: Gabe Klassen, Portland Winterhawks
November 6, 2023: Trevor Wong, Saskatoon Blades
October 30, 2023: Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors (Seattle Kraken)
October 23, 2023: Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)
October 16, 2023: Ryder Ritchie, Prince Albert Raiders
October 10, 2023: Easton Armstrong, Wenatchee Wild
October 2, 2023: Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors (Seattle Kraken)
September 25, 2023: Zac Funk, Prince George Cougars
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) 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.
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