Blades capture fifth Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL Regular Season Champions
For the fifth time in franchise history, the Saskatoon Blades have captured the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s regular season champions.
The Blades clinched the award with a 5-1 win over Prince Albert on Friday.
Saskatoon has set itself apart as the stingiest, most consistent team in the WHL, allowing the fewest goals against (163) and sporting the number one penalty kill in the WHL (85.6%).
The team tied a franchise record with a 14-0-2-2 points streak that stretched from November 24, 2023, to January 17, 2024.
SaskTel Centre has also served as a nearly impenetrable fortress for the Blades, with Saskatoon putting up a league-best 28-4-1-0 home record with one game to play.
WHL assists leader Trevor Wong (14G, 85A) has elevated his linemates, Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Brandon Lisowsky to 40-plus goal seasons.
Sidorov has put up a career-best 49 goals and 38 assists and leads the league with 12 game-winning goals while becoming the Blades’ all-time European scoring leader, passing Matej Stransky’s 192 points in blue and gold.
Lisowsky has added 42 goals and 38 assists, including two against Prince Albert in the title-clinching game.
Midseason acquisitions Fraser Minten and Alexander Suzdalev have kicked Saskatoon’s offence into new gear.
Minten, who started the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, has 18 goals and 18 assists in 35 games since being traded from Kamloops in a blockbuster deal.
Suzdalev, a Washington Capitals prospect who began the year in Sweden, brings a goal-scorer’s touch with 23 points in 29 outings.
Between the pipes, Austin Elliot and Evan Gardner have shined while splitting goaltending duties.
The duo ranks in the top three in goals-against average and shutouts by qualified WHL goaltenders.
Elliot, who is in his second full season in the Bridge City, is tied for second-most wins with a 29-8-2-1 record to go along with a 2.42 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and four shutouts.
Gardner, a 2021 third-round pick for the Blades, has amassed a 20-5-0-2 record, 1.98 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and three shutouts in his first WHL season, earning Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week honours twice.
The Blades still have a chance to record a 50-win season for the first time since 2010-11 when the team finished with a 56-13-1-2 record under the then-72 game schedule.
Saskatoon hosts Prince Albert in the regular-season finale on March 23 at 7:00 p.m. CST.
The Blades have previously won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy, named for one of the WHL’s founders, in 2010-11, 1987-88, 1982-83 and 1972-73, though the team has never captured a league championship.
Saskatoon’s quest for the Ed Chynoweth trophy begins next week when the puck drops on the 2024 WHL Playoffs, presented by Nutrien.