Silvertips forward Vanhanen named Tempo WHL Player of the Week
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today Everett Silvertips forward Matias Vanhanen has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, October 5, 2025.
Vanhanen, an 18-year-old product of Nokia, Finland, tallied 10 points (2G-8A) and a plus-8 rating in three games, as the Silvertips rattled off three consecutive wins to surge to the top of the WHL standings.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound left winger started his weekend with a bang, recording five points (1G-4A) in a resounding 7-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans Friday night at Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett. Vanhanen linked up with fellow countryman Julius Miettinen, setting up the Seattle Kraken prospect three times to help him collect a hat trick. Vanhanen added another assist on a second period goal from Florida Panthers prospect Shea Busch. Midway through the third period, Vanhanen secured his first career WHL goal, scoring on a power play to extend the score to 5-1. At the end of the night, Vanhanen was named second star of the game for his efforts.
Vanhanen kept cooking Saturday night, scoring three points (1G-2A) as the Silvertips once again thumped the opposition, knocking off the Victoria Royals by a margin of 9-4. Vanhanen registered his second career WHL goal 4:20 into the second period, giving the Silvertips a 5-3 lead. That marker went on to stand as the eventual game-winning goal for Everett. In the third period, Vanhanen once again helped Busch find the back of the net – once on the power play and once at even strength. For the second consecutive night, Vanhanen was named the second star of the game.
Sunday afternoon in Tri-City, Vanhanen served as a catalyst yet again, chipping in with two primary assists in a 5-3 win over the Americans. First, he set up the opening goal of the game, helping Busch collect his sixth goal of the campaign 15:13 into the first period. Midway through the third period, Vanhanen found Jaxsin Vaughan on a power play for the game-winning goal.
With the 10-point outburst this weekend, Vanhanen launched himself into second in scoring in the WHL, having registered 13 points (2G-11A) in six games. He also leads the Silvertips in scoring, sitting two points ahead of his linemate, Miettinen. Vanhanen has only been held off the scoresheet once in his young WHL career and finds himself riding an active five-game point streak, which stands as the second-longest active point streak in the WHL.
Over six games, Vanhanen has found ways to contribute in all situations, having secured two power-play points (1G-1A), one shorthanded assist, and 10 even-strength points (1G-9A).
Selected by the Silvertips in the first round (31st overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft, Vanhanen signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement on July 15. In the spring, he represented Finland at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, scoring five points (2G-3A) in five games. He also appeared with Finland at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase and is a candidate to represent his nation at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship this season in Minnesota.
Through six games, the Silvertips (5-0-1-0) are undefeated in regulation and sit atop the WHL standings.
Next up, the Silvertips continue a five-game swing away from home when they head to Vancouver Islander for back-to-back games against the Victoria Royals (3-1-1-0) this Friday and Saturday.
Tempo WHL Player of the Week
September 22, 2025: Ethan Semeniuk, Moose Jaw Warriors
September 29, 2025: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
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.
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