The Canada West Universities Athletic Association and the Western Hockey League are pleased to announce that forward PAUL DENISET of the University of Manitoba Bisons has been named Canada West Hockey’s HUSKY WHL Graduate of the Month for February 2006.
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rDENISET, a 24-year-old fourth-year senior from Winnipeg, Manitoba, becomes the fourth winner of the monthly award in 2005-06, joining University of Saskatchewan Huskies forward Dean Beuker (October), Jarret Lukin of the University of Calgary Dinos (November) and Ben Thomson of the University of Alberta Golden Bears (January). The Bisons’ co-captain earned 13 points, including three first place votes, in the voting conducted by the seven Canada West Hockey coaches.
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rIt is the third time that DENISET has won the monthly award, having previously won in October of 2003 and January of 2005. In total, Manitoba has had four players win the award a total of seven times. (Please see the second page of this release for a complete list of the University of Manitoba Bisons winners.)
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rFirst established in the 1989-90 season, the Canada West Hockey’s HUSKY WHL Graduate of the Month Award is now in its 17th season. The award is presented monthly to a graduate of the Western Hockey League who is playing on one of the seven teams in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association. Each monthly winner, between October and March, receives a cheque for $500.00 from the WHL to go towards the cost of his education and a gift from HUSKY.
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rThe Canada West Hockey – HUSKY WHL Graduate of the Month award is one of several initiatives that the Western Hockey League has put in place for its players. Since 1993, the Western Hockey League has issued a total of 2,240 scholarships worth in excess of seven million dollars, including $571,618 in 2005-06.
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rCanadian intercollegiate hockey is a quality option for players who wish to combine both hockey and education. A total of 126 WHL grads are members of Canada West Hockey’s seven teams in 2005-06. CIS hockey in general, and Canada West Hockey in particular, has allowed these players to further their hockey careers as well as their education at some of Canada’s finest academic institutions. During the 2004-05 season a total of 53 former Canada West Hockey players were playing professional hockey in North America and Europe, including former University of Alberta Golden Bears defenceman Cory Cross, who is currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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rDENISET averaged more than two points-per-game in February, scoring 16 points in seven games to average 2.29 points-per-game in helping the Bisons to a 4-2-1 record.
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rAfter being held to only a goal and an assist in a two-game series against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on February 3rd and 4th, the 5’11â€?, 187-pound, Physical Education student enjoyed one of his most productive series with an eight-point effort in back-to-back victories over the University of Regina Cougars on February 10th-11th to round out the conference schedule.
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rDENISET had a part in eight of Manitoba’s 10 goals in the series versus Regina as he accounted for the game-winning goal in each victory and registered his second hat trick of the season with a five-goal game. DENISET opened the series with a three-point game in Manitoba’s 3-2 win in the series opener on February 10th as he scored twice and added an assist. In a 7-4 win on February 11th, he became the 15th player, and second Manitoba Bison, in Canada West Hockey history to score five-or-more goals in a game. It marked the first time since University of Alberta forward Kris Knoblauch scored five times in the Golden Bears’ 12-0 win versus the Brandon University Bobcats on November 17, 2000 that a player had registered a five-goal game in conference play. DENISET joined Herb Pinder as the only two Bisons to score five times in a game. Pinder accomplished the feat on the road in a 9-1 win against the UBC Thunderbirds on January 16, 1970.
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rFour of DENISET’s five goals came on the powerplay, tying him for the conference record for most powerplay goals in a game. He is the fourth player in conference history to register four powerplay goals in a game and it is the first time in 12 seasons that the feat has been accomplished.
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rA week after his eight point series against Regina, DENISET once again led the Bisons to victory over Regina, defeating the Cougars two games to one in the best-of-three Canada West Hockey division semi-finals. In the opening game of the series he scored one assist in a 4-3 overtime loss on February 24th and then added two more assists as the Bisons evened the series with a 7-1 win on February 25th. DENISET came through in the deciding game with a three-point night, scoring a powerplay goal and adding two assists in a 6-2 victory.
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rWith points in each of Manitoba’s seven games in February, DENISET extended his scoring streak to 21 games as he scored 20-22-42 in a three-month stretch running from November 26th to February 26th.
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rDENISET finished the Canada West Hockey schedule in eighth place in the conference scoring race with 20-9-29 in 20 games. His 20 goals were second only to conference scoring champion Dean Beuker of Saskatchewan, who topped Canada West Hockey with 22 goals in 27 games.
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rDENISET completed the month by being named the conference’s winner of the Dr. Randy Gregg Award as the player who best combines athletic ability, academics and community service. He was named to the second all-star team for the second time in his career and was a finalist for the UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy, which is awarded to the player who best combines sportsmanship and ability.
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rOther nominees for the Canada West Hockey – HUSKY WHL Graduate of the Month award for February were goaltender Jeff Harvey of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (Everett Silvertips) and University of Alberta Golden Bears forward Dylan Stanley (Tri City Americans).
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rDENISET played four seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Kamloops Blazers, Swift Current Broncos, Vancouver Giants and Prince Albert Raiders from 1998-99 to 2001-02.
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r “HUSKY, proud sponsor of the WHL Education Program and the Canada West Hockey – WHL Graduate of the Month.â€?