10 WHL Things From Glen Erickson, Christmas Edition

What better time to dive into what the stories from the Western Hockey League standings tell us. Through 370 regular season games, there are trends, surprises and questions. Here goes!

1 – Game of The Week – What a barnburner on the last night of play before the break in the WHL schedule! The severely depleted Prince George Cougars dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime Friday to the severely depleted Everett Silvertips at the Angel of the Winds Arena. The contest featured the two division leaders in the western conference and delivered terrific entertainment value. Everett dominated territorial play, outshooting Prince George, 54-16, in a game the Cats led 2-0 with 90 seconds to play. Defenceman Landon DuPont tallied the tying and winning goals to send the 6,073 in attendance into an absolute frenzy. The Silvertips have emerged as a dogged, third-period team this season. With the “Christmas miracle win”, coined by ‘Tips play-by-play voice, Casey Bryant, Everett sits atop the WHL standings with 57 points in 33 games for an .864 winning percentage. For the Cougars, which entered the affair on a six-game winning streak, one wonders how subdued that ten-hour bus trip home may have been, enroute home to B.C.’s Northern Capital.

2 – U.S Division – At 27-3-2-1, the Silvertips are the cream of the crop, leading the league with 57 points. The Silvertips have a 21-point lead over the second place Portland Winterhawks (18-15) in their division, so we can guarantee at least one more banner will hang from the rafters at the Angel of the Winds Arena moving forward. Yes, like a national news network on election night, I’m calling it! I’m curious how the Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs (17-16) will approach the second half of the season. They will both likely be playoff teams, but will they chance a few roster moves to give the upper echelon western conference teams a nudge? The Tri-City Americans will likely battle down to the wire for a playoff berth, while at this point the Seattle Thunderbirds and Wenatchee Wild look destined to be on the outside looking in. The fourth and tenth place teams in the western conference are separated by only four points in the standings.

3 – B.C. Division – At 22-9-1, the division-leading Prince George Cougars appear to be what we thought they would be. That is, a legit contender with high-end goaltending and solid roster depth. The Cougars are 22-9-1 for 45 points and lead their division by six over the expansion Penticton Vees (16-9-4-3). The Vees are one of six WHL teams that have allowed less than 100 goals so far this season, with 96. The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals are separated by only four points. Which of these will emerge during the second half of the season as a group that could potentially compete with the league’s upper echelon teams? 

4 – Central Division – At 22-6-3-2, the division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers enter the break on a ten-game winning streak. This should surprise no one and the Tigers, the highest scoring team in the DUB, are legit contenders to defend their league title from last season. The Edmonton Oil Kings led the division and eastern conference for much of the first half, and they will certainly be a tough out. The Calgary Hitmen, who I would peg as my surprise team in the eastern conference this season, will hang around in the second half. I think it’s unlikely both the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Red Deer Rebels will qualify for a post-season berth.

5 – East Division – At 23-5-4, The division-leading Prince Albert Raiders also lead the eastern conference standings with 50 points. Great goaltending and their overall roster depth are the strong suits in Hockey Town North. The Brandon Wheat Kings, with high-octane offensive potential, sputtered a bit out of the gate, but appear to have hit their stride late in the first half of the campaign. Saskatoon has been able to score more than many WHL followers anticipated, and Moose Jaw has improved. Regina and Swift Current are bringing up the rear in the division. It’s conceivable that five East Division teams could qualify for the post-season.

6 – If the Playoffs Started Today – Everett versus Tri-City, Prince George versus Spokane, Penticton versus Kamloops, Portland versus Kelowna. Over in the eastern conference, Prince Albert versus Regina, Medicine Hat versus Moose Jaw, Edmonton versus Saskatoon, Brandon versus Calgary. Sure, this is premature, but which of these matchups make your spider sense tingle? The second round match ups would be far more enticing.

7 – It’s Not Amazing – Only on the RP Show website would I be late to the dance on this, as none of us compare notes prior to filing. So, here goes. The Regina Pats dealt away their leading scorer, Julien Maze, to the Calgary Hitmen for a pair of third round draft picks which the organization will not be able to begin using until 2027. Maze, a skilled forward who celebrated his 18^th birthday December 7, joins his third WHL team. For the Pats, it’s the kind of return that on the surface, junior hockey fans might suppose was due to a deal consummated after an eventful happy hour. It’s not like I have any deeply salacious inside information, but when we hear the phrase “addition by subtraction” associated with a top player’s departure in what looks like a lopsided transaction, spider senses should be tingling. And, this stuff is much more common than we might think and for the most part, I’m confident teams would rather keep things in the vault and move on. The Pats gave the keys to Dale Derkatch during the off-season and as the general manager, he is charged with orchestrating the current rebuild. Regina will need some character kids in the dressing room for a couple of seasons; veteran guys that must understand they have to be impactful on and off the ice but will unlikely be part of a team capable of winning a league championship while their respective WHL careers wind down. That’s a real tough pill for any junior hockey player, but the powers-that-be league-wide and the scouting world are always taking note. I suspect Maze, who was the Everett Silvertips first round draft pick at the 2020 WHL Draft, will one day look in the mirror and understand Derkatch probably did him a favour. Hopefully he can light it up with the Hitmen.

8 – Memory Lane – A “favour”? I’ll give you an example. We hired a youngster at the golf course years ago, based in large part on my working relationship with his mother, a salt-of-the-earth lady who did tremendous work in the community. Within a month, the kid established himself as a complete disaster. I knew he could be capable, but he ignored direction, misbehaved, damaged equipment and created discomfort among our staff. As a management team, we made the decision to terminate his employment, and I took the meeting. So, away the family goes to the only other golf course in the area, and that facility hired the kid in a similar role. Over time, he fell into lockstep and became a productive team member over there. An argument was made that our team didn’t do enough to enhance the kid’s potential. We viewed this as a thin beef, a convenient means for the kid to avoid accountability and also, an opportunity for a competitor to pump its own tires. The reality was if this kid had soiled the sheets at the only other golf course in the region, he would’ve been out of options moving forward. At some point, to his credit, he was able to get his act together. I suspect that part of his improved performance probably related to his mom whipping him into shape by letting him know that embarrassing the family again in the community was going to be a bad deal for him. Ultimately, by terminating the kid’s employment, I am confident we did him a favour, while also maintaining the confidence of our own team. It was indeed “addition by subtraction”. Sound familiar? Why is it relevant? We’re talking about teenagers.

9 – WJC Roster Randoms – Team Canada split its two pre-tournament games with Sweden, winning 2-1 in Kitchener before dropping a 4-2 decision in London. …I’m not sure what the impact of its 13-3 drubbing of Denmark will have on the team moving forward. …Another upside for Team Canada so far is they do not appear to have suffered any significant injuries entering the tourney. … There is a long history of players from the CHL being given what seem like token tryouts for their respective national teams, only to be cut prior to the tournament. This time around, it looks like Penticton Vees goaltender Andrew (AJ) Reyelts is one of those guys, released by Team USA on the weekend. …Another American goalie in the WHL, Harrison Boettiger of the Kelowna Rockets, and league scoring leader JP Hurlburt of the Kamloops Blazers, weren’t even invited by USA Hockey. Mind you, they are both young enough to get a chance next year. …Goal songs? Who cares? Just act like you’ve done it before. … The roster appears to be set now, but there is word a couple of players toiling in the NHL might still become available. That would require some juggling. The final roster must be submitted the night before the tournament…According to the Weekly Report on the league’s website, there could be as many a nine WHL players suiting up for Team Czechia at the WJC. … Prepare yourself for the annual TSN talking heads, gush-athon and the notion we are going to see the anointing of a Canadian hero at some point during the tournament. ….I think any chatter that Team Canada goes as Gavin McKenna goes, might be foolhardy. Even if the consensus 2026 NHL Draft’s top pick doesn’t go ballistic, the group is solid enough to contend and win the tournament. …Given the composition of each pool, Canada will face Finland on New Year’s Eve in the final preliminary round game. …The gold and bronze medal games go January 5 at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul. There is no NCAA football, nor is there a Monday Night Football game to compete with the telecast of the finale, though I’m not sure American networks will see a ratings blip of any measure. Coincidentally, the only NHL game that night happens to feature the Minnesota Wild, but it’s a late start in Los Angeles against the Kings.  

10 – DUB Randoms – Minnesota-native J.P. Hurlburt continues to lead the scoring race with 22 goals and 33 assists, good for a six-point lead over Cameron Schmidt (22-27; 49) of the Vancouver Giants. …Schmidt (10-13; 23) is rolling along on a 15-game point-scoring streak, the longest current heater in the DUB. …Defenceman Bryce Pickford of the Medicine Hat Tigers leads the league with 25 goals, one ahead of Brandon Wheat Kings forward Joby Baumuller. Seven of Pickford’s goals  have been game winners, tops in the DUB, Pickford, who signed an ELC with the Montreal Canadiens this week, is on a tear, having scored in six straight games, averaging two per outing. …Finnish forward Matias Vanhanen of the Everett Silvertips leads the way with 37 assists, two ahead of Tigers forward, Markus Ruck. …Wheaties forward Chase Surkan continues to lead the league with 13 power play goals, one ahead of Victoria Royals forward, Roan Woodward. …Tops among overage skaters so far are Alex Weiermair (19-23; 42) of the Portland Winterhawks and Kooper Gizowski (14-28; 42) of the Prince George Cougars. …Goaltender Anders Miller of the Silvertips leads with a 2.33 goals against average. Michal Orsulak of the Prince Albert Raiders is next at 2.34. … Xavier Wendt of the Tri City Americans has the best save percentage to date at .925, ahead of Josh Ravensbergen of the Prince George Cougars at .921. Wendt is the only keeper in the DUB with a goal this season, an empty netter on December 3 against the Swift Current Broncos. …Ravensbergen leads all goalies with 16 wins, one ahead of Silvertips Raiden LeGall and Brandon’s Filip Ruzicka. …Prince George has the top power play production so far at 34.4-percent, ahead of the Wheaties at 30.9. … The Calgary Hitmen are the stingiest team while down a man, with the penalty kill running at an 84.7-percent clip. The Cougars are next at 83.3…A total of 45 hat tricks scored so far, five of those are four-goal games. … A total of 27 shutouts have been posted to date. … Through 370 WHL games this season, average attendance is 3,768 per contest. The Edmonton Oil Kings lead with an average of 6,370 through 14 home games, but that’s a number boosted by it Teddy Bear Toss Game when 16,887 fans dropped in. Everett is next at 5,869 through 17 home games. Last season, though 748 regular season games, average attendance was 4,174.

**Entertainment Time – Props to my wonderful wife, who not only has tolerated me for the better part of 37 years, but she heard my chirp around the house after I watched an interview on the RP Show a few weeks ago. She presented me with a copy of “MADNESS: The Rise and Ruin of Sports Media” last week. I’ve just moved past author Mark Hebscher’s take on the career of the iconic Howard Cosell. I love the history! … I had some fun on the weekend pulling out and old hockey classic, Mystery Alaska. For $4.99 on Prime Video, it was a great diversion for me at a time when life in our world just continues to “happen”. Back in 1999, a movie set was built near Canmore, Alberta and that’s where the bulk of the movie was filmed. A small town hyper-focused on hockey, they play by their own unique rules is featured in a Sports Illustrated issue, and that leads to the community hosting a game against the New York Rangers. The concept is hokey, but I really enjoyed the movie because there are a ton of laughs. Russell Crowe and Burt Reynolds highlight the cast, which has never been a bad thing. I had forgotten about the brief and moronic appearance by Elbows Up dummy, Mike Myers, a performance I’m surprised was able to survive the cutting room floor. There is plenty of hockey footage and a handful of players with WHL experience appeared in the film. Remember Barry Melrose (KAM/MH), Jim Wheatcroft (LETH/CGY), Fred Hettle (KAM/MJ/SC/RD) and Dale Kushner (PA/MH). Current Edmonton Oil Kings head coach, Jason Smith (REG) appears on the list of credits as well, though I couldn’t pick him out in any particular scene. Kushner is most the noticeable player, as the Rangers sneering bully. It’s awesome! Hey, Mystery Alaska is certainly no Slap Shot, or Miracle, but I think it’s an under rated hockey film.

(Glen Erickson is a hockey writer based in Medicine Hat, AB)