WHL names Central Division All-Star Teams

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the Central Division All-Star teams for the 2021-22 WHL season.

WHL Division All-Stars are voted upon by WHL General Managers.

WHL Central Division First All-Star Team
Goaltender – Sebastian Cossa (Fort McMurray, Alta.) – Edmonton Oil Kings
Defenceman – Kaiden Guhle (Sherwood Park, Alta.) – Edmonton Oil Kings
Defenceman – Christoffer Sedoff (Helsinki, Finland) – Red Deer Rebels
Forward – Arshdeep Bains (Surrey, B.C.) – Red Deer Rebels
Forward – Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, Alta.) – Edmonton Oil Kings
Forward – Ben King (Vernon, B.C.) – Red Deer Rebels

WHL Central Division Second All-Star Team
Goaltender – Isaac Poulter (Winnipeg, Man.) – Swift Current Broncos
Defenceman – Simon Kubicek (Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechia) – Edmonton Oil Kings
Defenceman – Owen Pickering (St. Adolphe, Man.) – Swift Current Broncos
Forward – Riley Fiddler-Schultz (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) – Calgary Hitmen
Forward – Justin Hall (Edmonton, Alta.) – Lethbridge Hurricanes
Forward – Jake Neighbours (Airdrie, Alta.) – Edmonton Oil Kings

WHL Central Division First All-Star Team Biographies

Goaltender Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton Oil Kings): A first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021 NHL Draft, Cossa finished third among WHL goaltenders in wins (33), shutouts (six) and goals-against average (2.28) during the 2021-22 Regular Season. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound product of Fort McMurray, Alta. made 46 appearances for the Central Division Champion Oil Kings, suffering just nine regulation defeats.  The 19-year-old has a career 71-16-4-3 record in 98 regular season WHL games, all with Edmonton, to go along with a 2.12 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and 14 shutouts.

Defenceman Kaiden Guhle (Edmonton Oil Kings): Montreal Canadiens prospect Kaiden Guhle recorded 40 points (7G-33A) over a 42-game Regular Season split between the Prince Albert Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings. The 20-year-old product of Sherwood Park, Alta. averaged a point per game during his 25 appearances with the Oil Kings, leading the Club’s blueline corps in that category. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound rearguard, who won a WHL Championship with the Raiders in 2019, has registered 100 points (22G-78A) in 181 regular season games with Prince Albert and Edmonton.

Defenceman Christoffer Sedoff (Red Deer Rebels): The 20-year-old product of Helsinki, Finland marked his return to the Red Deer Rebels by recording 61 points (7G-54A) in 65 Regular Season games. Sedoff led all WHL defencemen with 37 power-play points during the 2021-22 campaign. The 6-foot-1, 189-pound blueliner has appeared in 126 regular season contests with Red Deer, totalling 80 points (12G-68A).

Forward Arshdeep Bains (Red Deer Rebels): Bains became the first player of South Asian descent to lead the WHL in scoring, amassing 112 points (43G-69A) during the Regular Season with the Red Deer Rebels and earning a contract with the Vancouver Canucks in the process. The 21-year-old product of Surrey, B.C. led all WHL skaters with 69 helpers, more than doubling his previous personal bests in goals, assists, points, power-play goals and game-winning tallies. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound forward has recorded 209 career regular season points (77G-132A) in 257 games, all with Red Deer.

Forward Dylan Guenther (Edmonton Oil Kings): Selected ninth-overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2021 NHL Draft, Guenther led his hometown Oil Kings in scoring during the 2021-22 Regular Season with 91 points (45G-46A). 60 of the 19-year-old’s points came at even strength, and in addition to setting new career highs in goals, assists and points, Guenther also set new personal bests with 13 power-play goals and six game-winning markers. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound forward has amassed 178 points (86G-92A) in 137 regular season appearances with Edmonton.

Forward Ben King (Red Deer Rebels): Vernon, B.C.’s Ben King led the WHL with 52 goals, finishing second to linemate Arshdeep Bains among WHL scoring leaders with 105 points. The 19-year-old, who was named McSweeney’s WHL Player of the Month for March 2022, finished the campaign with 15 goals, one shy of equaling a 43-year-old League record. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound centre held a 58.8 percent face-off efficiency, and over the course of 206 regular season games with Swift Current and Red Deer has registered 205 points (89G-116A).

WHL Central Division Second All-Star Team Biographies

Goaltender Isaac Poulter (Swift Current Broncos): Poulter finished tied for second among Central Division netminders during the 2021-22 Regular Season with a .911 save percentage over his 49 appearances with the Swift Current Broncos. The product of Winnipeg, Man. won a career-best 20 games in 2021-22, five of which came by shutout. The 20-year-old netminder graduates from the WHL after 137 regular season outings with the Broncos, in which he posted a 35-87-8-4 record, 3.76 goals-against average, .898 save percentage and six shutouts.

Defenceman Simon Kubicek (Edmonton Oil Kings): The 20-year-old Kubicek finished tied for the lead among WHL defencemen with nine power-play goals, all while recording 41 points (14G-27A) for the Edmonton Oil Kings during the 2021-22 Regular Season. The product of Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechia was one of only 13 WHL blueliners to appear in every game for his Club this season. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound rearguard has totalled 96 points (30G-66A) over 181 regular season games with Seattle and Edmonton.

Defenceman Owen Pickering (Swift Current Broncos): Rated as the #21 North American Skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Season Rankings, the 6-foot-5, 178-pound Pickering registered 33 points (9G-24A) over 62 Regular Season outings with Swift Current. The 18-year-old is one of seven Broncos set to appear in the upcoming 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship in Germany: the product of St. Adolphe, Man. also featured at the 2022 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game this past March. In 85 career WHL games, all with the Broncos, Pickering has tallied 42 points (11G-31A).

Forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz (Calgary Hitmen): Fiddler-Schultz led the Calgary Hitmen with 69 points during the Regular Season, finishing tops among Calgary skaters in goals (28), assists (41) and power-play markers (nine) in the process. The 19-year-old, who calls Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. home, recorded more than a point-per-game for the first time in his four-year WHL career. The 6-foot-0, 195-pound centre, who finished fourth in the League with 826 face-off wins, has totalled 114 points (46G-68A) in 182 career regular season outings with the Hitmen.

Forward Justin Hall (Lethbridge Hurricanes): 21-year-old Justin Hall closed out his final WHL Regular Season by leading the Lethbridge Hurricanes in scoring with 74 points (34G-40A). The product of Edmonton, Alta. scored three hat-tricks during the 2021-22 Regular Season, adding the League’s lone five-goal game of the campaign February 26, 2022. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound forward made 188 regular season appearances for the Hurricanes, recording 146 points (62G-84A).

Forward Jake Neighbours (Edmonton Oil Kings): Limited to just 30 Regular Season appearances, 20-year-old Neighbours put up 45 points (17G-28A) for the Oil Kings after starting the 2021-22 season with the St. Louis Blues. The product of Airdrie, Alta. was named Edmonton’s captain upon his return to the Club, and recorded points in 17 of his last 18 regular season games. The 6-foot-0, 197-pound forward has appeared in 171 regular season contests, all with the Oil Kings, in which he has accrued 176 points (60G-116A).

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 consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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 over 50 years. The WHL is also the 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.