WHL names 2022-23 Central Division First All-Star Team

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the First All-Star Teams for the 2022-23 WHL season.

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

WHL Central Division First All-Star Team
Goaltender – Rhett Stoesser (Carstairs, Alta.) – Red Deer Rebels
Defenceman – Owen Pickering (St. Adolphe, Man.) – Swift Current Broncos
Defenceman – Christoffer Sedoff (Helsinki, Finland) – Red Deer Rebels
Forward – Riley Fiddler-Schultz (Sherwood Park, Alta.) – Calgary Hitmen
Forward – Josh Filmon (Winnipeg, Man.) – Swift Current Broncos
Forward – Kai Uchacz (De Winton, Alta.) – Red Deer Rebels

WHL Central Division First All-Star Team Biographies

Goaltender Rhett Stoesser (Red Deer Rebels): The 6-foot-2, 183-pound rookie finished the 2022-23 regular season with a 19-6-0-0 record, posting a 2.35 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts along the way. With running mate Kyle Kelsey, the 17-year-old Stoesser was named a co-winner of the WHL’s Goaltender of the Month award for September and October. The product of Carstairs, Alta. posted both of his shutouts within a six-day span in late October, while his 2.35 goals-against average was second-best among first-year goaltenders.

Defenceman Owen Pickering (Swift Current Broncos): The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect, and Broncos captain, led all Swift Current defencemen with 45 points (9G-36A), setting career highs in assists and points in the process. Hailing from St. Adolphe, Man., Pickering started the 2022-23 campaign on a nine-game point streak and finished the season with four three-point outings. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound blueliner led the Broncos with 19 power-play assists. The 19-year-old has collected 87 points (20G-67A) from his 146 games with Swift Current.

Defenceman Christoffer Sedoff (Red Deer Rebels): The Finnish rearguard signed an entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this month, leading Red Deer’s defence corps with 51 points (5G-46A) this season. Sedoff, 21, led the Club with 30 power-play assists and enjoyed 13 multi-point games over the course of the season. In three full seasons with the Rebels, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound defenceman has totalled 131 points (17G-114A) from his 185 regular season contests.

Forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz (Calgary Hitmen): The 20-year-old led the Hitmen in scoring for the second straight season, captaining the Club to a third-place finish in the Central Division on the strength of a career-best 75-point campaign (31G-44A). The product of Sherwood Park, Alta. enjoyed a five-goal game, the first by a Calgary player in more than 20 years, October 23 versus Prince Albert. Fiddler-Schultz, who won the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy as WHL Humanitarian of the Year in 2020, has amassed 189 points (77G-112A) from his 246 WHL regular season appearances, all with the Hitmen.

Forward Josh Filmon (Swift Current Broncos): A prospect of the New Jersey Devils, Filmon finished tied for fourth among WHL skaters with 47 goals, which represented a more than 200 per cent increase over his tally from the 2021-22 season. The product of Winnipeg, Man. led the Broncos in scoring with 75 points (47G-28A), scoring 14 times on the power-play. He recorded the first six-goal game by a WHL skater since 2009, tallying a half-dozen times at Edmonton December 18. In 148 career WHL regular season contests, Filmon has collected 122 points (72G-50A).

Forward Kai Uchacz (Red Deer Rebels): One of only two WHL skaters to reach the 50-goal mark this season, the 19-year-old helped the Rebels capture the Central Division title with an 85-point campaign (50G-35A). One of four Red Deer skaters to appear in all 68 regular season contests in 2022-23, the De Winton, Alta. product collected three hat-tricks during the campaign, all of which occurred in a four-game span between December 27, 2022 and January 1, 2023. Listed on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term Rankings, the 6-foot-2, 193-pound forward has totalled 128 points (67G-61A) from his 177 career WHL regular season games.