Four Giants Prospects to Compete in WHL Cup
Published on October 12, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release
Vancouver Giants prospect Luca Pura
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)
Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League, in partnership with BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Manitoba, announced today the four team rosters that will compete in the 2023 WHL Cup presented by FPS Payment, which includes four Vancouver Giants prospects.
The WHL Cup will run from October 18-22 at the Peavey Mart Centrium - home of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels. The tournament showcases the top 2008-born players from the four Western Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, who will compete in a round-robin tournament format followed by playoffs.
The Giants prospects that will participate include:
Ryan Lin, Defence (Team B.C. - Drafted 1st Round, 6th overall by Vancouver)
Brett Olson, Forward (Team Alberta - Drafted 1st Round, 8th overall by Vancouver)
Kai Anderson, Forward (Team B.C. - Drafted 6th Round, 117th overall by Vancouver)
Luca Pura, Forward (Team Manitoba - Drafted 7th Round, 139th overall by Vancouver)
Ryan Lin - Team B.C.
Lin (Richmond, B.C.) was the Giants' sixth overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, after putting up an impressive 17 goals and 41 points in just 27 games as a defenceman for Delta Hockey Academy's U15 Prep Green squad last season. His 41 points ranked fifth amongst all defencemen in the CSSHL U15 Prep division, while his 17 goals were T-1st. Lin already has five points (3G-2A) in three games for Delta's U18 Prep team this season.
Brett Olson - Team Alberta
Olson (Spruce Grove, AB) had an outstanding 2022-23 season, playing in the Alberta Elite U18 Hockey League as a 15-year-old for the St. Albert Raiders, where he posted 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points in 35 games. He also played a year up for Team Alberta in the Canada Winter Games, where he recorded three points in five games (1G-2A). Olson will play for the U18 Raiders again this season, where he has three points in four games thus far (1G-2A).
Kai Anderson - Team B.C.
Anderson (North Vancouver, B.C.) played for Burnaby Winter Club's U15 Prep team in his draft year, recording 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 27 games before the Giants made him a sixth round selection in the WHL Prospects Draft. His 13 goals ranked second on his club and his 26 points ranked third. Anderson is playing for the BWC's U17 Prep team this season, where he has already started strong with five points in four games (2G-3A).
Luca Pura - Team Manitoba
Pura (Winnipeg, MB) was the fourth forward selected by the Giants in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, after putting up 36 goals and adding 17 assists for 53 points in the 2022-23 season for the U15 Winnipeg Wild. His 36 goals were the 10th-most league-wide for his division. Pura is playing for the U18 Winnipeg Wild this season in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League.
ALBERTA
Featuring the most first-round selections from the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Team Alberta is poised to pursue their first gold medal since 2016.
Like the future of the Prince Albert Raiders, the Wild Rose province will be led by defenceman Daxon Rudolph (first overall, Prince Albert) and Riley Boychuk (second overall, Prince Albert). Keaton Verhoeff (fourth overall, Victoria) and Aaron Sawatzky (16th overall, Moose Jaw) join Rudolph on the blueline, while the only goaltender selected in the first round - Carter Esler (22nd overall, Spokane) backs the blue and gold in net.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Reigning WHL Cup gold medallists return to Red Deer with what could quite possibly be a stronger team than they had in 2021. Mathis Preston (third overall, Spokane), Liam Ruck (ninth overall, Medicine Hat) and Markus Ruck (21st overall, Medicine Hat) will reunite again after impressive U15 seasons together with Okanagan Hockey Academy, combining for 258 points as a line. Paired with Joe Iginla (12th overall, Edmonton), Noah Kosick (11th overall, Calgary), and offensive defenceman Ryan Lin (sixth overall, Vancouver), Team B.C. should have no problem putting the puck in the net.
MANITOBA
Team Manitoba's strength comes from their defence, with all six blueliners selected in the top 90 of last May's WHL Prospects Draft. Sure to log big minutes on the backend, the 6-foot-1 frame of Brek Liske (10th overall, Everett) will serve as a steady, shutdown presence alongside puck mover Carson Carels (15th overall, Prince George), while Carter Kingerski (35th overall, Tri-City) will be called upon to help lead the Keystone province offensively.
SASKATCHEWAN
With memories of 2019 in the back of their minds, Team Saskatchewan is back to prove they have what it takes to grab the gold. Returning to Peavey Mart Centrium less than a month after training camp with the Rebels, Beckett Hamilton (18th overall, Red Deer) will get his first taste of playing in his future home. Saskatoon Blazers teammates Caine Wilke (20th overall, Everett) and Dayne Beuker (14th overall, Lethbridge) join Hamilton as high-calibre weapons on offense, balancing with their deep defensive core featuring the likes of Griffin Darby (17th overall, Portland) and Nigel Boehm (28th overall, Brandon).
Further information on the event can be found at prospects.whl.ca.
*Of the four Giants prospects named to their respective teams, Lin and Olson have signed with the team.
Images from this story
 Vancouver Giants prospect Ryan Lin (Rob Wilton) |
 Vancouver Giants prospect Brett Olson (Rob Wilton) |
 Vancouver Giants prospect Kai Anderson (Darren Francis) |
 Vancouver Giants prospect Luca Pura (Rob Wilton) |
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