WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Honor Award Winners

March 14, 2008 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


Drayson Bowman was named the Spokane Chiefs Player of the Year and Chris Bruton and Seth Compton shared the Player's Player award in a pre- game ceremony on Friday night when the Chiefs hosted the Portland Winter Hawks. Both Jared Spurgeon and Jared Cowen were honored twice as the Chiefs handed out seven total awards and recognized 20-year-olds Bruton, David Rutherford and Judd Blackwater prior to their final home game during the regular season.

Bowman, a three-year veteran, is the first Chief since the 1997-98 season to score 40 goals in a season and sits fourth in the league in that category. His 79 points are a career high and put him 10th in the WHL. The Chiefs first round selection, eighth overall, in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft, is a two-time winner of the WHL's Player of the Week honor and was named the Canadian Hockey League's Player of the Month in November. Bowman has three hat-tricks, two five point games and another three four-point games this year.

Bruton, the Chiefs captain, won his second Player's Player honor in as many years as well as the Chiefs Humanitarian of the Year for the second time. Compton, in his fourth season in the WHL, has played 68 games this year with a career high 13 goals and 20 points.

Spurgeon was honored as the Chiefs John "Hitman" Hern Defenseman of the Year as well as the Ken Rabel Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year. Spokane's leading scorer from the blueline has played in a career high 67 games, scored 12 goals and 43 points and is tied for first on the team with a +35. Spurgeon has also posted just 19 penalty minutes this season.

The Chiefs also recognized Cowen as the Rookie of the Year and the Most Scholastic Player of the Year. In his first full season in the WHL, Cowen has played 65 games and is the league's top rookie defenseman with a +26 while maintaining a 3.67 GPA at Ferris High School. The first overall selection in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft has scored four goals and 17 points.

Coming into this weekend, Bruton has played 255 career games and scored 58 goals, 79 assists and 137 points. Originally an eighth round selection in the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft, Bruton has scored a career high 26 goals and 62 points, both third on the team. Bruton was named the Chiefs captain at the start of the season, his fourth in a Spokane jersey.

Rutherford broke onto the scene last year after an early season trade with the Vancouver Giants. The Ladner, BC native had scored just four goals the season before and then tallied 31 for Spokane last year, finishing second on the team in points and goals scored. This year, despite missing a quarter of the season with an injury, Rutherford has scored 21 goals, including eight game winners. In total, Rutherford has played 161 career games, scored 56 career goals and 109 career points.

Blackwater, an undrafted free-agent, made his Chiefs debut partway through the 2005-06 season and scored seven goals in 45 games as a rookie. Last year, he tallied 12 goals and 41 points in 55 games. This year, Blackwater has tallied a career high 28 goals, second on the club, and 56 points. Throughout his three-year career, Blackwater has played 168 career games.

The Chiefs will honor the leading scorer, plus-minus award winner and the cumulative season winners of the North Cedar Dental Stars of the Game prior to one of the Chiefs two playoff games next weekend.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Drayson Bowman CO-PLAYERS' PLAYER-Chris Bruton Seth Compton ROOKIE OF THE YEAR-Jared Cowen JOHN "HITMAN HERN" DEFENSEMAN OF THE YEAR- Jared Spurgeon KEN RABEL MOST SPORTSMANLIKE-Jared Spurgeon HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR-Chris Bruton SCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Jared Cowen

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 14, 2008


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