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WHL Grad of the Month: Hewitt's Heroics Have T-Birds Soaring

February 3, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Edmonton, Alta. - Matt Hewitt's strong start to 2018 has landed the UBC Thunderbird goaltender the honour of WHL Grad of the Month for January.

The former Regina Pat was tremendous in goal for the T-Birds, as the Coquitlam, B.C. product posted a 6-1-0 record and a remarkable .945 save percentage over the first month of the New Year. Hewitt's stellar play helped UBC clinch a Canada West playoff berth, as the West Coast squad currently sits fourth in the standings with 29 points - just one point back of third-place Manitoba.

UBC can lock down a home playoff date this weekend as early as Friday with a regulation win over Mount Royal. It would mark just the second time since 1971 that the T-Birds have earned a home playoff date, after hosting the CW quarter-finals back in 2015.

Prior to joining UBC for the 2013-14 season, Hewitt played three seasons in the Western Hockey League - all in Regina. The Arts student appeared in 146 regular season games with the Pats, and was the team's No. 1 netminder in both 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Entering this weekend, Hewitt sits second in Canada West in save percentage at .921 and is third in minutes played at just over 1000.

UBC returns to the ice this weekend looking to keep their strong play alive, following a sweep of the second-place Saskatchewan Huskies a week ago. The T-Birds are in Calgary Friday and Saturday to take on the MRU Cougars.

Previous Canada West WHL Graduates of the Month 2017-18 Recipients: October: Luke Philp, Alberta. November: Zak Zborosky, Regina. December: Garret Hughson, Lethbridge.

2016-17 Recipients: October: Jamie Crooks, Alberta. November: Elgin Pearce, Calgary; Jay Merkley, Lethbridge. January: Jesse Forsberg, Saskatchewan; Connor Rankin, Mount Royal. March: Connor Gay, Saskatchewan.

About Canada West: Canada West (CW) is the leading university athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. Canada West and our 17 members from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba collectively carry on a legacy of competitive excellence, as our champions proudly go on to represent the conference at U SPORTS national championships.

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 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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 350 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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Western Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2018


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