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WHL Announces Division Nominees for Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy

April 4, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League has announced the 2023-24 Division nominees for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy.

The trophy is awarded annually to the WHL Defenceman of the Year.

Previous winners include Olen Zellweger (Everett), Braden Schneider (Brandon) and Ty Smith (Spokane), who also won CHL Defenceman of the Year.

All WHL Division Award winners are eligible for the overall WHL Awards, which will be announced from Wednesday, May 1 through Thursday, May 9.

The Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy winner will be revealed on Tuesday, May 7.

WHL Defenceman of the Year Nominees

B.C. Division - Hudson Thornton (Winnipeg, Man.) - Prince George Cougars

Central Division - Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary, Alta.) - Calgary Hitmen

East Division - Denton Mateychuk (Dominion City, Man.) - Moose Jaw Warriors

U.S. Division - Graham Sward (Abbotsford, B.C.) - Wenatchee Wild

WHL Defenceman of the Year Biographies

Hudson Thornton (Prince George Cougars)

Prince George Cougars Captain Hudson Thornton is the WHL B.C. Division Defenceman of the Year.

The blueliner set new career highs in assists and plus/minus in his fourth season with the Cougars, scoring 18 goals, including six powerplay goals, one shorthanded goal and three game-winners, and adding 56 assists and a +28 rating in 2023-24.

His 74 points rank fourth among WHL defencemen, clinching him a berth on the WHL B.C. Division First All-Star Team.

The 20-year-old was a key player in all situations for the Cougars, who allowed the second-fewest goals against (187) and closed out the regular season on a 17-0-1-1 point streak.

Thornton closes out his major junior career with 56 goals and 140 assists for 196 points in 207 regular-season games.

The 5-foot-11, 181-pound rearguard owns the all-time record for points, goals and assists by a Cougars defenceman since the team moved to Prince George in 199-95.

Thornton was originally selected by the Cougars in the second round, 33rd overall in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.

Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary Hitmen)

Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Carter Yakemchuk is the WHL Central Division Defenceman of the Year.

The 18-year-old Calgary Hitmen defender had a career-best season in all categories, potting 30 goals, including 10 powerplay markers and three game-winners, and 41 assists for 71 points in his third WHL season.

He finished second on his team in goals, assists and points.

Yakemchuk's 30 goals led all defencemen and set a new franchise record for single-season goals by a blueliner, breaking Jake Bean's 24-goal marker set back in 2015-16.

The 6-foot-3, right-shot defenceman was named a WHL Central Division First Team All-Star for his efforts.

The Calgarian is ranked sixth among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of June's NHL Entry Draft.

Yakemchuk also earned an invitation to the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton, N.B. in early 2024.

Since being picked by the Hitmen in the third round, 65th overall, in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Yakemchuk has recorded 53 goals and 78 assists for 131 points in 189 WHL games.

Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors)

Moose Jaw Warriors Captain Denton Mateychuk is the WHL East Division Defenceman of the Year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect put forward a career-best season despite playing fewer games than in years past.

Mateychuk recorded 17 goals and 58 assists for 75 points and a +35 rating in 52 games.

His 75 points were third among blueliners and his 1.44 points per game led all WHL defencemen.

The WHL East Division First Team All-Star compiled an impressive 23-game point streak that saw him amass six goals and 29 helpers from October 10, 2023, to December 8, 2023.

Mateychuk also earned an invitation to join Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he tallied four assists and a +6 rating in five games.

The 5-foot-11, 191-pound defender has 41 goals and 174 assists for 215 points in 213 games with Moose Jaw, breaking the franchise record for most points by a defenceman this season.

The Dominion City, Man. product was selected by Columbus in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

He posted three assists in four preseason games with the Blue Jackets before returning to Moose Jaw at the start of the season.

Graham Sward (Wenatchee Wild)

Wenatchee Wild Captain Graham Sward is the WHL U.S. Division Defenceman of the Year.

The Colorado Avalanche prospect erupted for 15 goals, including two powerplay tallies and two game-winners, and 66 assists for a career-high 81 points and a +41 rating in 66 games in 2023-24.

Sward finished second on the Wild in points and second among all WHL defencemen in points and assists.

He also compiled two-point streaks of ten games or more, netting five goals and 22 assists for 27 points in 15 games from September 29, 2023, to November 4, 2023 and scoring two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 10 games from November 24, 2023, to December 17, 2023.

The 6-foot-3, 191-pound defender was selected by Spokane in the first round, 17th overall, in the 2018 WHL prospects draft before being traded to the Winnipeg ICE in 2022-23, helping the team to reach the WHL Championship series.

The 20-year-old wraps up his WHL career with 33 goals and 147 assists for 180 points in 250 regular-season games.

Sward was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round, 146th overall, in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft before having his rights traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

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