Canadiens prospect Pickford named Tempo WHL Player of the Week

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today Montreal Canadiens prospect and Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Bryce Pickford has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, January 11.

Pickford, a 19-year-old product of Chauvin, Alta., registered seven points (4G-3A) and a plus-5 rating in two outings, helping the Tigers extend their season long win streak to 17 games while stretching his personal point-scoring string to 15 games (20G-16A).

This is the second time this season Pickford has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week, after first winning the weekly honour December 8. Pickford was also named Tempo WHL Player of the Month for December.

The 6-foot-1, 186-pound right-shot blueliner started the week with a career-high five-point effort (3G-2A), recording his second career hat trick Friday, January 9, in a come-from-behind 8-3 victory over his former Club – the Seattle Thunderbirds. After the Thunderbirds staked out a commanding 3-0 lead through 20 minutes of play, it was Pickford who sparked the Tigers comeback. Midway through the second period, the Tigers captain found the back of the new on a power play, cutting the Seattle lead to 3-1. Following a successful penalty shot from Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, which pulled Medicine Hat within one goal, Pickford converted on yet another power-play opportunity, tying the the game 3-3 within a span of 2:31. Pickford then provided the primary helper on a third period marker from Kade Stengrim, which gave the Tigers a commanding 6-3 edge. The Habs prospect then completed his hat trick with another strike on the man advantage, putting the Tigers in front 7-3 with 6:22 remaining in regulation. He added a secondary assist on the final goal of the night, authored by forward Markus Ruck, and was named first star of the game for leading his Club to eight unanswered goals.

On Saturday, January 10, Pickford was back at it again, logging two points (1G-1A) and a plus-3 rating in a 7-4 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. With the Tigers nursing a 3-2 lead in the second period, Pickford set up running mate Jonas Woo for his 20th goal of the season. Before the middle period came to a close, Pickford found the back of the net for his 32nd goal of the year, tying a Medicine Hat Tigers franchise record for goals by a defenceman – originally set by Kris Russell during the 2006-07 WHL season. Russell accomplished the feat in 59 games, while Pickford did so in 38 games.

With 60 points (32G-28A) in 38 games, Pickford leads all WHL defencemen in scoring and ranks fourth among all skaters, trailing a trio of forwards, including Dallas Stars prospect Cameron Schmidt (30G-36A–66 points), 2026 NHL Draft eligible forward JP Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers (26G-37A–63 points), and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka (26G-35A–61 points).

Pickford’s 32 goals rank atop the entire WHL.

After setting the Tigers franchise record for goals in a single season by a defencemen, Pickford’s next pursuit is for the WHL record for goals in a single season by a defenceman, originally set by former Saskatoon Blades blueliner Lawrence Sacharuk, who registered 50 goals in 65 games (0.77 goals per game) during the 1971-72 campaign. With 32 goals in 38 games (0.84 goals per game), Pickford is on pace to tally 56 goals in 66 games this season.

Originally selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the second round (38th overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Pickford is a two-time WHL Champion, having won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as a member of the Thunderbirds in 2023 before playing a critical role in the Tigers championship run in 2025. Over 207 career regular season contests, Pickford has tallied 142 points (60G-82A). He has added another 27 points (15G-12A) in 43 career WHL Playoff games.

With a record of 29-6-3-2, the Tigers sit atop the WHL’s Eastern Conference and in the midst of a 21-game point streak (19-0-1-1).

Next up, Pickford and the Tigers visit the Edmonton Oil Kings (29-7-3-1) in an all-important Central Division clash Wednesday, January 14 (7 p.m. MT) at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Tempo WHL Player of the Week

September 22, 2025: Ethan Semeniuk, Moose Jaw Warriors
September 29, 2025: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
October 6, 2025: Matias Vanhanen, Everett Silvertips
October 14, 2025: Noah Kosick, Swift Current Broncos
October 20, 2025: Kooper Gizowski, Prince George Cougars
October 27, 2025: Caden Brown, Regina Pats
November 3, 2025: Max Curran, Edmonton Oil Kings
November 10, 2025: Luke Mistelbacher, Brandon Wheat Kings
November 17, 2025: Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers
November 24, 2025: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
December 1, 2025: Tarin Smith, Everett Silvertips
December 8, 2025: Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers
December 15, 2025: Joby Baumuller, Brandon Wheat Kings
December 22, 2025: Mathis Preston, Spokane Chiefs
December 29, 2025: Jonas Woo, Medicine Hat Tigers
January 5, 2026: Lukas Sawchyn, Edmonton Oil Kings

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 23 member Clubs with 17 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 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.