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Two Chiefs up for WHL Awards - Bantam Draft Thursday

Published on May 1, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release

Two Spokane Chief defensemen will be up for league honors at the 2012 WHL Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 2nd in Calgary, AB.

Brenden Kichton is the Western Conference's nominee for the Bill Hunter Memorial trophy for the WHL Defenseman of the Year. His 74 points led all WHL defenseman as he was the only blueliner in the league to lead their team in scoring. The four-year veteran had 17 goals, 57 assists and finished the regular season +25. Kichton is the first Chief in franchise history to be named the Western Conference's Defenseman of the Year and just the fourth to earn first team all-star honors (Bryan McCabe-1993-94, Kurt Sauer-2001-02, Jared Cowen, 2010-11). Alex Petrovic of the Red Deer Rebels represents the Eastern Conference.

Reid Gow is the Western Conference's winner of the Scholastic Player of the Year award and a finalist for the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy. Gow, a two-year veteran, earned a cumulative 95% in his core classes; College Prep English, Advanced Placement Statistics and Sports Marketing. Gow is also taking college level psychology on-line through Athabasca University. The defenseman from Killarney, Manitoba scored 22 points, including 20 assists, in 54 games. He had 14 points on the power play. The Eastern Conference's nominee is Calgary's Jimmy Bubnick.

The Spokane Chiefs were selected as the Conference's nominee for the WHL Marketing/Business Award.

Also included in the Awards Luncheon will be the WHL Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL Player of the Year. This year's finalists for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy are forward Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers, representing the Eastern Conference, and forward Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans, representing the Western Conference.

The Tigers' Etem enjoyed an outstanding 2011-12 season, leading the WHL with a whopping 61 goals while finishing seventh among all WHL players with 107 points. A 19-year-old from Long Beach, CA, Etem became the first WHL player to score 50 goals in 50 or fewer games and to score 60 or more goals since the 2000-01 season. The Anaheim Ducks prospect was a unanimous selection to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star team.

A native of Winnipeg, MB, Brendan Shinnimin's season for the Tri-City Americans was an incredible one as he led the entire WHL in scoring with 134 points for the highest point total in the WHL since the 1998-99 season, earning him the Bob Clarke trophy. Shinnimin, who is in his fourth and final season with the Americans, finished second among all WHL players with 58 goals and second with 76 assists. A unanimous selection to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star team, the Phoenix Coyotes prospect was named the Husky WHL Player of the Month after putting up an astounding 23 goals and 43 points in just 14 games. He ended the regular season on a 23-game point streak.

Among other 2012 WHL Awards nominees are the two finalists for the WHL Rookie of the Year. One of 16-year-old Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice, the Eastern Conference's finalist, and 17-year-old Swiss forward Tim Bozon of the Kamloops Blazers, the Western Conference's finalist, will go home with the Jim Piggott Memorial trophy.

The 2012 WHL Awards Luncheon will also see the presentation of the Brad Hornung trophy for WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player, the Del Wilson trophy for WHL Goaltender of the Year, the Dunc McCallum Memorial trophy for WHL Coach of the Year, the Lloyd Saunders Memorial trophy for WHL Executive of the Year, the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial trophy for WHL Humanitarian of the Year and he Allen Paradice Memorial trophy for WHL Top Official.

Over the years, the WHL has presented awards to many players who have gone on to stardom in the NHL and in international play.

Past winners of the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy include current NHL stars Cam Ward (Red Deer Rebels, 2003-04), Jordan Eberle (Regina Pats, 2009-10) and Jarome Iginla (Kamloops Blazers, 1995-96), and NHL legends such as Joe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos, 1986-87 & 1987-88), Mike Vernon (Calgary Wranglers, 1981-82 & 1982-83), Bryan Trottier (Lethbridge Broncos, 1974-75) and Bobby Clarke (Flin Flon Bombers, 1968-69). Last year's winner was goaltender Darcy Kuemper of the Red Deer Rebels.

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2012 WHL BANTAM DRAFT ON THURSDAY

The Spokane Chiefs will have the 14th overall selection in Thursday's annual WHL Bantam Draft, the the first opportunity for WHL teams to replenish their systems with graduating Bantam-aged players.

"Our group of scouts did a fabulous job this year," Chiefs Director of Player Personnel Chris Moulton said.

Of the 23 players on the Chiefs' roster in the playoffs 14 had gone through the Bantam Draft process with 11 of them being selected by Spokane. The roster featured three former first round Chiefs' picks; Mitch Holmberg (2008), Reid Gow (2009) and Tyler King (2010).

"From the start of the year our scouts attend league games and tournaments," Moulton said about the process leading up to the draft.

"We have a great group of scouts and they all stepped up and did a tremendous amout of work throughout the season. By the end of the year I was able to see all four provinces and we are on track and ready to go for Thursday."

The order of selection for the first round of the draft is determined through a weighted lottery consisting of the six non-playoff teams. The draft order is based on the inverse overall standings from the regular season.

The 2012 WHL Bantam Draft will see the Seattle Thunderbirds select first overall. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Thunderbirds will have the first overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft.

WHL fans can watch the first round of the 2011-12 WHL Bantam Draft live online via Webcast. The Draft begins at 8:30AM MST.

Players eligible for the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft will be 1997-born players who reside in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

While the WHL Bantam Draft is the first opportunity for teams to select graduating Bantam players, it is not the last chance for a player to be listed or recruited by a WHL Club. After the Draft is completed, all remaining Bantam players become eligible to be listed by WHL Clubs, and many will be added as spots become available on a WHL Club PPL, or as player development improves at a higher level of hockey.

1st ROUND ORDER OF SELECTION

Following is the order of selection for the 1st round of the WHL Bantam Draft:

1). Seattle Thunderbirds

2). Prince Albert Raiders

3). Prince George Cougars

4). Lethbridge Hurricanes

5). Swift Current Broncos

6). Red Deer Rebels

7). Everett Silvertips

8). Victoria Royals

9). Kelowna Rockets

10). Kootenay Ice

11). Regina Pats

12). Brandon Wheat Kings

13). Saskatoon Blades

14). Spokane Chiefs

15). Vancouver Giants

16). Medicine Hat Tigers

17). Calgary Hitmen

18). Moose Jaw Warriors

19). Kamloops Blazers

20). Portland Winterhawks

21). Tri-City Americans

22). Edmonton Oil Kings

2nd ROUND AND ALL SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS

ORDER OF SELECTION

Following is the order of selection for the 2nd and all subsequent rounds of the WHL Bantam Draft:

1) Prince Albert Raiders

2) Prince George Cougars

3) Seattle Thunderbirds

4) Everett Silvertips

5) Victoria Royals

6) Lethbridge Hurricanes

7) Swift Current Broncos

8) Red Deer Rebels