Vancouver Giants Team Awards Revealed for 2025-26 Season
WHL Vancouver Giants

Vancouver Giants Team Awards Revealed for 2025-26 Season

Published on March 25, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Langley, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants are pleased to announce their Individual Award winners for the 2025-26 season, which were announced prior to the club's regular season finale on March 21.

P.C. Toigo Most Valuable Player: Ryan Lin (53GP - 14G - 43A - 57PTS)

Lin (Richmond, B.C.) led the Giants in scoring with 57 points, becoming the first Giants defenceman ever to record 50 or more points in both his 16-year-old rookie year and his 17-year-old NHL Draft season. His 14 goals this season were nearly triple the five he scored in 2024-25. Lin's offensive totals are one thing, but he was also 4th amongst all WHL skaters in average ice-time per game (25:58). Without Lin in the lineup from January 16 until February 21, the Giants went 3-11-0.

Gordie Howe Top Scorer: Ryan Lin (53GP - 14G - 43A - 57PTS)

Lin's 1.08 points-per-game this season were the third-highest by a Giants defenceman in franchise history, trailing only Jonathon Blum (1.29 in 2008-09) and Mazden Leslie (1.09 in 2024-25). If he had been able to play a full season, he certainly would have challenged Leslie and Kevin Connauton for the Giants single season points record by a defenceman of 72.

Pat Quinn Defenceman Of the Year: Ryan Lin (53GP - 14G - 43A - 57PTS)

Lin winning MVP meant he was a lock for the Pat Quinn Defenceman of the Year. He was valuable all over the ice, ranking 4th amongst all WHL defencemen in controlled exits per game (5.58), 4th amongst WHL d-men in average puck possession per game (2:20) and 5th in successful pass completions per game (37.8).

Bruce Allen Inspirational Leadership Award: Ethan Mittelsteadt (61GP - 4G - 10A - 14PTS)

Ethan Mittslsteadt (Victoria, B.C.) led by example both on and off the ice for the Giants this season, showing the younger Giants what real commitment looks like in practice, in the gym and academically.

Most Improved Player: Brett Olson (68GP - 11G - 19A - 30PTS)

Olson (Spruce Grove, Alta.) jumped from four goals and 15 points in his rookie season to 11 goals and 30 points as a 17-year-old, while taking on an increased role. The right-shot centre averaged 20:08 of ice time per game after the January 8 trade deadline, while also taking more face-offs, finishing second to Misha Volotovskii on the team with 396 face-off wins. The Alberta product was second amongst Giants forwards in even-strength points with 24.

Milan Ilich Rookie Of The Year: Blake Chorney (64 GP - 8G - 12A - 20PTS)

Chorney's (Nipawin, Sask.) point totals don't do justice to how effective he was as a 16-year-old rookie. He impacted the game in different ways and got significantly better as the year wore on, collecting five points in his final eight games. His 20 points did rank 10th in the WHL amongst 16-year-old rookie forwards.

Unsung Hero: Misha Volotovskii (61GP - 17G - 17A - 34PTS)

Volotovskii (Calgary, Alta.) only had nine points in 25 games as a Giant (6G-3A), but he did everything the right way: practiced the right way, trained the right way and played the right way. He was a massive part of the Giants' improved penalty kill, which had a 76% efficiency since his arrival on January 8, and he averaged over 20 minutes of ice-time per game.

White Spot Humanitarian of the Year: Torretto Marrelli

Marrelli (Devon, Alta.) played a key role in the Vancouver Giants' community outreach, generously volunteering his time at elementary schools through the 'Be a Giant' initiative, assisting at the Giants hockey school and all-day Timbits jamboree, and consistently going the extra mile at post-game skates, which were held eight times this season.

Bublé Iron Man Award: Brett Olson (68GP - 11G - 19A - 30PTS)

Olson was the only Giant to play in all 68 games this season.

Most Sportsmanlike Player: Jakob Oreskovic (67GP - 12G - 28A - 40PTS - 26 PIM)

Oreskovic (Langley, B.C.) went the first 18 games of the season before taking a minor penalty. Given his hard, two-way game, 26 penalty minutes is pretty impressive for someone who played in 67 games. Oreskovic also nearly doubled his production from his 17-year-old season, jumping from 21 points to 40 this season (12G-28A). He was one game shy of suiting up in all 68 games, missing just one game on March 7 in Kamloops due to illness.

Sultan Thiara Plus/Minus Award: Kaleb Hartmann (+3)

Heading into the final weekend of the season, Hartmann (Langley, B.C.) was the +/- leader by a fair margin at +8. By the end of the season, he was +3, which included six points (3G-3A) and a +1 rating with the Giants in 19 games post trade deadline.

Player's Choice Award: Ryan Lin (53GP - 14G - 43A - 57PTS)

Given his impact on the team at just 17, Lin was also the winner of the Player's Choice Award.

Save-On-Foods High School Scholastic Player of the Year: Blake Chorney

Saskatchewan-raised Chorney balanced Grade 11 studies at South Delta Secondary with his first season in the WHL, suiting up in 64 games.

Post-Secondary Academic Player of the Year: Ethan Mittelsteadt

Mittelsteadt completed post-secondary courses online while playing an important role on the Giants blue line, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game.

Three Stars of the Year: First Star - Burke Hood; Second Star - Ryan Lin; Third Star - Kelton Pyne

Hood (Brandon, Man.) was the outright winner of the Three Stars, finishing the season with four First Star selections, two Second Star selections and three Third Star selection, for a total of 19 'points'.

Despite missing 14 games with an upper-body injury, Lin was named the First Star twice, the Second Star four times and the Third Star three times, for a total of 17 points.

Pyne (White City, Sask.) was named the First Star five times, giving him a total of 15 points.

Graduating Players: Ethan Mittelsteadt, Misha Volotovskii, Kelton Pyne

Mittelsteadt was the longest-serving Giant of the three at 111 regular season games. He also suited up in 112 games with the Kelowna Rockets and 40 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds, for a total of 263 career regular season WHL games. He tallied 76 career points in those games, on 17 goals and 59 assists. The defenceman also played in 20 playoff games: 15 with Kelowna and five with the G-Men.

Pyne appeared in 33 games for the Giants in his 20-year-old season, in addition to the 104 games he had already played with his hometown Regina Pats. He posted a career high .898 save percentage with the Giants in those 33 games this season.

Volotovskii played more games than both of those, though the fewest with Vancouver at just 25. Volotovskii played 285 career WHL regular season games between Saskatoon, Medicine Hat and the Giants, finishing with a career-high 17 goals this season. He had 81 career points (40G-41A). Volotovskii won a Memorial Cup last season with Medicine Hat and totalled 43 career WHL playoff games.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central