Capitals Prospect Cristall, Rookie of the Year DuPont Among WHL Monthly Award Winners

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Capitals Prospect Cristall, Rookie of the Year DuPont Among WHL Monthly Award Winners

May 1, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Calgary, Alta. - Spokane Chiefs forward Andrew Cristall has been named WHL Player of the Month for April, the Western Hockey League announced Thursday.

This is the second time Cristall has earned the monthly award this season, in addition to four weekly wins.

The prized Washington Capitals prospect led all WHL skaters with 16 goals (including three game-winners) and 15 assists for 31 points in 11 games as the Spokane Chiefs inch closer to clinching a berth in the 2025 WHL Championship Series.

Cristall has yet to be held off the scoresheet in the 2025 WHL Playoffs with a 13-game point streak. April saw him register nine multipoint performances, including six that saw him bag three or more points and two hat tricks. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound winger kicked off the month with a hat trick, including the game-deciding goal, in Game 4 of Spokane's first-round series against Vancouver to force the Giants to the brink of elimination. He followed it up with his first career six-point playoff match (2G-4A) to send the Giants packing.

The Burnaby, B.C. product shined again as the Chiefs battled the B.C. Division champion Victoria Royals in Round Two. Cristall registered three assists in regulation in Game 5 as the Chiefs roared back from a 4-1 deficit before scoring the overtime winner with two seconds left in the extra frame to give Spokane a 3-2 series lead. In Game 6, he tallied three assists for a second straight game before scoring the series-clinching goal with less than two minutes remaining in double overtime to send the Chiefs to the Western Conference Championship, where he buried a hat trick in Game 2.

Cristall leads all WHL skaters in postseason goals with 18, while sitting sixth in assists (16) and tying for second in points (34). He also ranks second in game-winning goals with three. He's also hit an impressive milestone as one of only three active WHLers to surpass 50 career playoff points (23G-31A-54PTS).

The 20-year-old's monster 132-point season (48G-84A) saw him capture the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL's leading regular-season scorer. He's also nominated for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually to the WHL Player of the Year and has been named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team.

Earlier this season, Cristall also became the first WHLer in the 21st century to surpass the 400-point mark with 157 goals and 255 assists for 412 points in 248 regular-season games with the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs.

He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

Spokane can complete a sweep of the Portland Winterhawks, clinch the Western Conference Championship, and set up a showdown against the Eastern Conference-champion Medicine Hat Tigers with a victory in Game 4 on Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. PST.

2024-25 WHL Player of the Month

September/October: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

November: Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)

December: Oliver Tulk, Calgary Hitmen

January: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

February: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)

March: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

LIGHTNING PROSPECT MENEGHIN NAMED WHL GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL

Calgary, Alta.- Medicine Hat Tigers netminder Harrison Meneghin has been named WHL Goaltender of the Month for April, the Western Hockey League announced Thursday.

This is the second straight month that Meneghin has been named WHL Goaltender of the Month, in addition to a win in January. He's also been recognized as the Pharmasave WHL Goaltender of the Week four times, including back-to-back wins to close out April.

Meneghin went undefeated for back-to-back months with an 8-0-0-0 record in April, a 2.65 goals-against average, a .882 save percentage and one shutout to help the Tigers reach the WHL Championship Series for the first time since 2007.

The 20-year-old has yet to lose a game in the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien. He's allowed two or fewer goals in five of nine starts, highlighted by a 25-save effort in a 3-2 win to knock out the Swift Current Broncos in their Round One matchup and an 18-save shutout in Game 4 to eliminate the Prince Albert Raiders in the second round.

The South Surrey, B.C. product also made 18 saves in a 5-3 win on April 30 to sweep his former team, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, in the 2025 WHL Eastern Conference Championship.

Meneghin is 10-0-0-0 in the postseason with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .889 save percentage and two shutouts. He ranks second among all qualified netminders in GAA, second in wins and is tied for first in shutouts. He hasn't registered a loss since February 21, 2025, stretching back into the regular season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning selected the 6-foot-4, 174-pound netminder in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

He's posted a regular season career record of 69-42-8-3 with a 2.68 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and seven shutouts over parts of four seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Tigers await the winner of the Western Conference Championship Series between the Spokane Chiefs and Portland Winterhawks.

Spokane leads the series 3-0 and can punch their ticket to the big dance with a win on Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. PST.

Fans can stream the 2025 WHL Playoffs for free on Victory+.

2024-25 WHL Goaltender of the Month

September/October: Jesse Sanche, Everett Silvertips

November: Evan Gardner, Saskatoon Blades (Columbus Blue Jackets)

December: Raiden LeGall, Everett Silvertips

January: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)

February: Daniel Hauser, Calgary Hitmen

March: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)

EXCEPTIONAL STATUS DEFENCEMAN DUPONT NAMED WHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL

Calgary, Alta.- Everett Silvertips defenceman Landon DuPont has been named WHL Rookie of the Month for April, the Western Hockey League announced Thursday.

This is the third time the 15-year-old has scooped up the monthly honour in his first season, in addition to a trio of weekly wins.

DuPont led all rookie skaters with five goals and seven assists for 12 points in eight games in his first trip to the WHL Playoffs.

The Calgary, Alta. product tallied five multi-point games through April while only being held off the scoresheet twice. He was named third star in a 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 of Everett's second-round series against the rival Portland Winterhawks with the game-opening goal and a late assist. DuPont also potted a goal and two assists as the Silvertips hammered Portland 8-4 in Game 6 to force a seventh and decided final showdown. DuPont opened the scoring again in Game 7, but a pair of quick third-period goals by the Winterhawks sunk the regular season champions and ended DuPont's incredible inaugural season.

Despite seeing his season come to a close on April 22, DuPont still leads the rookie scoring race with five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 10 games.

On April 24, 2025, DuPont was announced as the winner of the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the WHL Rookie of the Year. He's just the eighth defenceman in 58 seasons to clinch the award.

The 5-foot-11, 179-pound rearguard is the first defenceman and second player in WHL history to be granted exceptional status to compete in the league full-time at 15 years old.

He was drafted by the Silvertips with the first-overall pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.

DuPont led all rookies in regular season scoring with 17 goals (including 10 powerplay markers) and 43 assists for 60 points in 64 games. He finished ninth among first-year players in goals, second in assists and third in plus/minus with a +31 rating.

He is eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.

2024-25 WHL Rookie of the Month

September/October: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips

November: Gavin Garland, Tri-City Americans

December: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips

January: Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert Raiders

February: Savin Virk, Tri-City Americans

March: Cooper Williams, Saskatoon Blades

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Western Hockey League Stories from May 1, 2025


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