WHL Announces Monthly Award Winners Announced
Published on May 1, 2024 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release
Calgary, Alta. - Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk has been named WHL Player of the Month for April, the Western Hockey League announced Wednesday.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect put up six goals and 15 assists for 21 points and a +16 rating in ten playoff games in April.
Mateychuk leads all skaters in postseason points and assists and ranks second in plus/minus.
The Warriors Captain recorded six multipoint games in April, highlighted by a monster six-point night against Swift Current in Game 2 of their second-round series.
Mateychuk registered a goal and five assists in one night, coming within a point of tying the WHL record for points in a single playoff game by a defenceman.
Five of Mateychuk's points came in a 10:44 span that saw Moose Jaw erupt for a six-game second period.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pound blueliner has been a force at both ends of the ice and a fixture on the Warriors' special teams, registering a powerplay goal, five powerplay assists and two shorthanded helpers in the postseason.
Mateychuk leads all WHL skaters in the playoffs with six goals and 17 assists in 12 total matches, helping Moose Jaw reach the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time since 2012.
The Dominion City, Man. product was selected by Columbus 12th overall in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
He's nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL Defenceman of the Year after a career-best regular season that saw him lead all blueliners with 1.44 points per game.
The Warriors look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead against Saskatoon in Game 4 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre at 7:00 p.m. MST on Wednesday, May 1.
2023-24 WHL Player of the Month
April: Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors (Seattle Kraken)
February: Atley Calvert, Moose Jaw Warriors
January: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers
December: Riley Heidt, Prince George Cougars (Minnesota Wild)
November: Gabe Klassen, Portland Winterhawks
September/October: Zac Funk, Prince George Cougars (Washington Capitals)
2024 NHL DRAFT-ELIGIBLE NEMINDER ŠPUNAR NAMED WHL GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL
Calgary, Alta.- Portland Winterhawks netminder Jan Špunar has been named WHL Goaltender of the Month for April, the Western Hockey League announced Wednesday.
This is the second time this season Špunar has earned the monthly recognition, having previously won for September/October.
The 2024 NHL Draft-eligible netminder posted an 8-1-0-0 record throughout April with a 2.28 goals-against average, a .926 save percentage and a shutout, helping the Portland Winterhawks advance to the Western Conference Championship for the first time since 2015.
The 19-year-old was named Giuseppe WHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this campaign on April 22 after going 2-0-0-0 with a 1.32 goals-against average, a .959 save percentage and a 27-save shutout to complete a sweep of the Everett Silvertips in Round Two of the 2024 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien.
One of Špunar's most impressive postseason performances came against the Silvertips in Game 3, where he stopped a postseason-high 44 of 47 shots.
Špunar has an overall record of 10-1-0-0 in the postseason, making the third-most saves (304) and playing the second-most minutes (673).
He's also assisted two Portland goals.
The Olomouc, Czechia product is nominated for the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy as WHL Goaltender of the Year after a dominant regular season that saw him post a 25-6-2-1 record, a 2.12 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Portland selected Špunar with the 52nd pick in the 2022 CHL Import Draft.
The Winterhawks look to extend their series lead in Game 4 of the Western Conference Championship against the Prince George Cougars on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. PST at Portland's Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
2023-24 WHL Goaltender of the Month
March: Evan Gardner, Saskatoon Blades
February: Reid Dyck, Swift Current Broncos (Boston Bruins)
January: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels
December: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels
November: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
September/October: Jan Spunar, Portland Winterhawks
COUGARS GOALTENDER RAVENSBERGEN NAMED WHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL
Calgary, Alta.- Prince George Cougars netminder Joshua Ravensbergen has been named WHL Rookie of the Month for April, the Western Hockey League announced Wednesday.
This is the first time Ravensbergen has been named Rookie of the Month, though he was recognized as WHL Goaltender of the Month for November.
The 17-year-old went 6-2-0-0 through March, with a 2.10 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and a league-leading three shutouts as the Prince George Cougars advanced to the Western Conference Championship for the first time since 2007.
Ravensbergen was named Giuseppe WHL Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season on April 15 after setting a franchise record with back-to-back playoff shutouts against the Kelowna Rockets.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound goalie put up his third clean sheet of the postseason with a 33-save shutout against Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference Championship.
He was named a WHL B.C. Division Second-Team All-Star after an impressive rookie campaign that saw him post a 26-4-1-1 record, a 2.46 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and a league-leading six shutouts, tying the WHL record for clean sheets by a first-year player.
Ravensbergen was signed to the Cougars as an undrafted free agent and played a significant role in the team's B.C. Division-winning campaign.
The Cougars will try to tie the Western Conference Championship series against the Winterhawks on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. PST at Portland's Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
2023-24 WHL Rookie of the Month
March: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars
February: Gavin Mckenna, Medicine Hat Tigers
January: Carter Bear, Everett Silvertips
December: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars
November: Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals
September/October: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars
Western Hockey League Stories from May 1, 2024
- May 1 - Canes Chatter Presented by Peka Rollshutters - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Game 4 Preview: Cougars at Winterhawks: Western Conference Championship Series - Prince George Cougars
- Cougars Netminder Ravensbergen Named WHL Rookie of the Month for April - Prince George Cougars
- Warriors Captain Mateychuk Named WHL Player of the Month for April - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Špunar Named WHL Goaltender of the Month - Portland Winterhawks
- WHL Announces Monthly Award Winners Announced - WHL
- Trade Tree: Wheat Kings' Forward Depth Has Roots in Clague Deal - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Rockets to Auction Helmets for Local Charities - Kelowna Rockets
- Hitmen Hire Cass Bruni as Assistant General Manager - Calgary Hitmen
- Cougars General Manager Lamb Awarded Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy as WHL Executive of the Year for 2023-24 - Prince George Cougars
- Cougars General Manager Lamb Awarded Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy as WHL Executive of the Year for 2023-24 - WHL
- Game Day Hub: Round 3, Game 4 vs. Prince George - Portland Winterhawks
- New Ticket Packages Go on Sale May 6 - Spokane Chiefs
- 2024/2025 Season Tickets on Sale Now - Swift Current Broncos
- Cougars Head Coach Lamb Awarded Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL Coach of the Year for 2023-24 - Prince George Cougars
- Cougars Head Coach Lamb Awarded Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL Coach of the Year for 2023-24 - WHL
- Mark Lamb Named WHL's Executive of the Year - Prince George Cougars
- GM & Head Coach Mark Lamb Named WHL Coach of the Year - Prince George Cougars
- Blades Unable to Best Unger, Drop Game 3 of Eastern Conference Finals - Saskatoon Blades
- Unger Backstops Warriors to Big Game 3 Win in Eastern Conference Championship - Moose Jaw Warriors
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