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WHL Announces Weekly Award Winners

January 29, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Carter Yakemchuk of the Calgary Hitmen has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 28, 2024.

The 2024 NHL Entry Draft-eligible defenceman led his team with two goals and three assists as the Hitmen went 1-0-1-0 to climb into a playoff position.

Yakemchuk returned from his trip to the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects game with some jump in his step on January 26. The Calgary, Alta. product showed off his edgework behind the net to evade a Wheat Kings defender and set up Tyson Greenway in the slot for the second goal of the match. In the middle frame, Yakemchuk would tee up Ben Kindel for a powerplay blast to take the game into blowout territory. He capped off the night by springing Brandon Gorzynski and Carson Wetsch on a two-on-one that saw Wetsch bury his 15th of the season. The 8-0 victory marks Calgary's first shutout win of the season.

The 18-year-old's goal-scoring prowess would take center stage in a January 28 match against the visiting Regina Pats. Shortly after a disallowed Pats goal that would have extended the score to 3-0 for the visitors, Yakemchuk snapped a bouncing puck past Ewan Huet to cut the deficit in half for the Hitmen. In the third period, with Calgary trailing 3-1, Yakemchuk grabbed the puck and curled off the half-wall to cut towards the slot, muscling a backhand shot over the shoulder of Huet for his 20th goal of the season. Calgary would go on to earn a single point in a 4-3 overtime loss, with Yakemchuk leading all defencemen with six shots on net.

Yakemchuk leads all WHL defencemen with 20 goals on the season and sits fourth in the points race with 47 in 42 games. The 6-foot-3 right-shot defender is on pace for a career-best season in his third year in the league, already reaching his 2022-23-point total in 25 fewer games.

NHL Central Scouting has ranked Yakemchuk sixth among all North American skaters heading into the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Hitmen selected him in the third round, 65th overall in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.

He was named a WHL Central Division Second Team All-Star in 2022-23 and represented Canada at the 2023 U18 World Championship, where he suited up for seven games en route to a bronze medal.

Calgary (19-18-6-1) has points in nine of its past 10 games to overtake the Prince Albert Raiders and slide into the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hitmen head up the highway to face Edmonton (16-26-1-1) on January 2.

2023-24 Tempo WHL Player of the Week

January 22, 2024: Luca Cagnoni, Portland Winterhawks (San Jose Sharks)

January 15, 2024: Matthew Savoie, Moose Jaw Warriors (Buffalo Sabres)

January 8, 2024: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

January 2, 2024: Chase Bertholet, Spokane Chiefs

December 18, 2023: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets

December 11, 2023: Dominik Rymon, Everett Silvertips

December 4, 2023: Conor Geekie, Wenatchee Wild (Arizona Coyotes)

November 27, 2023: Andrew Basha, Medicine Hat Tigers

November 20, 2023: Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars (Los Angeles Kings)

November 13, 2023: Gabe Klassen, Portland Winterhawks

November 6, 2023: Trevor Wong, Saskatoon Blades

October 30, 2023: Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors (Seattle Kraken)

October 23, 2023: Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)

October 16, 2023: Ryder Ritchie, Prince Albert Raiders

October 10, 2023: Easton Armstrong, Wenatchee Wild

October 2, 2023: Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors (Seattle Kraken)

September 25, 2023: Zac Funk, Prince George Cougars

BUFFALO SABRES PROSPECT RATZLAFF NAMED WHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Seattle Thunderbirds netminder Scott Ratzlaff has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending January 28, 2024.

The Buffalo Sabres prospect went 2-0-0-0 on the week, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and .960 save percentage.

Ratzlaff turned aside 34 of 37 shots in a 6-3 victory against the Wenatchee Wild on the road on January 26. 19 of Wenatchee's shots came in the final period and Ratzlaff only allowed one even-strength goal.

The 18-year-old would turn in the performance of a lifetime the following night as the Thunderbirds snapped the powerhouse Everett Silvertips' eight-game winning streak. Ratzlaff stopped a career-high 62 of 63 shots, denied all six Silvertips powerplays and even added an assist on an empty-net goal to preserve a 3-1 win.

Ratzlaff was named first star of the game and even earned a CHL first star nod for his efforts.

The Irma, Alta. product sports a 12-14-1-0 record with a 3.31 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in his fourth full WHL season.

Ratzlaff, who was picked by Seattle in the second round, 43rd overall in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, helped the Thunderbirds capture the 2022-23 WHL Championship. He also clinched gold for Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he went 4-0-0-0 with two shutouts, a .50 goals-against average and a .976 save percentage.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound goalie was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round, 141st overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

Seattle (16-24-2-0) returns home to face the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars (31-14-0-2) on January 30.

2023-24 WHL Goaltender of the Week

January 22, 2024: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels

January 15, 2024: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels

January 8, 2024: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants

January 2, 2024: Harrison Meneghin, Lethbridge Hurricanes

December 18, 2023: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants

December 11, 2023: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels

December 4, 2023: Jackson Unger, Moose Jaw Warriors

November 27, 2023: Dawson Cowan, Spokane Chiefs

November 20, 2023: Rhett Stoesser, Red Deer Rebels

November 13, 2023: Evan May, Medicine Hat Tigers

November 6, 2023: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars

October 30, 2023: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars

October 23, 2023: Daniel Hauser, Wenatchee Wild

October 16, 2023: Jan Špunar, Portland Winterhawks

October 10, 2023: Kyle Kelsey, Red Deer Rebels

October 2, 2023: Ethan Chadwick, Everett Silvertips

September 25, 2023: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders

2026 NHL DRAFT-ELIGIBLE FORWARD MCKENNA NAMED KAL TIRE WHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Gavin McKenna of the Medicine Hat Tigers has been named Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week for the week ending January 28, 2024.

The 16-year-old led all WHLers with three goals, four assists and a plus-two rating in two matches as the Tigers went 1-0-0-1 for the week.

McKenna opened the floodgates in a high-scoring first period against the Moose Jaw Warriors on January 26 when he flew down the wing and snapped the puck past Moose Jaw netminder Jackson Unger. Hayden Harsanyi would quickly make it 2-0 for Medicine Hat just over a minute later and McKenna capped off the run by burying his 20th of the season with a furious one-timer two minutes and 48 seconds after his game-opening goal. The Warriors would storm back to seize a 5-4 lead in the third period, but McKenna would combine with Andrew Basha to set up Shane Smith for the game-tying goal with 14 seconds left. Moose Jaw would ultimately earn a shootout win, but McKenna was rewarded with second star honours and a single point for his efforts.

The Tigers' fate would improve in a dramatic rematch the following night. McKenna would spring Hunter St. Martin for the game-opening goal, though the Warriors would seize a 3-2 lead heading into the final frame. In the third, McKenna wound through the opposition in search of a teammate, but his attempted pass took a fortuitous bounce off a Warriors' stick and deflected into the Moose Jaw net. With the game level, McKenna would assist on two more Tigers goals as Medicine Hat clawed its way to a 5-3 win. This time, McKenna would be named first star.

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft-eligible forward is second in the WHL rookie scoring race with 21 goals and 42 assists in 41 games. His 1.54 points-per-game average is first among all CHL first-year players.

McKenna, who hails from Whitehorse, Y.T., was selected by Medicine Hat with the first overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.

The 6-foot, 165-pound left winger was named Kal Tire Rookie of the Week on January 22, 2024 and Tempo WHL Player of the Week on January 8, 2024. He's also represented Team Canada Red at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he tallied five goals and three assists in seven games.

Medicine Hat (28-14-3-1) is sitting first in the Central Division with points in seven of its last 10 games.

The Tigers will travel to Saskatoon to face the league-leading Blades (33-9-2-3) in a battle between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference on February 2.

2023-24 WHL Rookie of the Week

January 22, 2024: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

January 15, 2024: Julius Miettinen, Everett Silvertips

January 8, 2024: Julius Miettinen, Everett Silvertips

January 2, 2024: Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals

December 18, 2023: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars

December 11, 2023: Max Curran, Tri-City Americans

December 4, 2023: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars

November 27, 2023: Ethan Eskit, Brandon Wheat Kings

November 20, 2023: Dakota MacIntosh, Moose Jaw Warriors

November 13, 2023: Ben Kindel, Calgary Hitmen

November 6, 2023: Ethan McCallum, Medicine Hat Tigers

October 30, 2023: Julius Miettinen, Everett Silvertips (NHL CSS: C)

October 23, 2023: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars (NHL CSS: B)

October 16, 2023: Ty Coupland, Swift Current Broncos

October 10, 2023: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars (NHL CSS: B)

October 2, 2023: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars (NHL CSS: B)

September 25, 2023: Oscar Lovsin, Wenatchee Wild

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