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WHL Western Hockey League

WHL Announces Weekly Awards Winners

January 8, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today Gavin McKenna of the Medicine Hat Tigers has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 7, 2024.

The Whitehorse, Y.T. product led all WHLers with four goals, eight assists and a plus-six rating as Medicine Hat went 3-1-0-0 for the week.

McKenna's first of the week was a stunner against the Red Deer Rebels, blasting a one-timer so fast, fans and officials were unsure whether the puck actually crossed the goal line. McKenna's 12th tally of the season would tie the game at one, and the 16-year-old would chip in an assist on Oasiz Wiesblatt's long powerplay marker en route to a 3-2 overtime victory for the Tigers.

Red Deer would get the best of Medicine Hat in a rematch three days later, but McKenna flexed his speed to overtake a pair of Rebels and snap the puck just inside the post for a powerplay marker.

The 6-foot, 165-pound star showed off his generous side as the Tigers returned home to lower the boom on visiting Tri-City the next day. While McKenna didn't find the back of the net himself, he served up five assists- his highest single-game assist total since wracking up four apples in his WHL debut last season. McKenna earned first star of the night for his efforts.

But the 2026 NHL Entry Draft-eligible forward can only be held scoreless for so long. McKenna would pad his totals once again with a double-double in a 10-4 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs. With Medicine Hat playing its third game in three nights, the Chiefs jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second period. McKenna one-timed a sweet feed from Tomas Mrsic to get the Tigers within one and showed off his wicked release on a partial breakaway to tie the game two minutes later. McKenna won a puck battle in the corner that would lead to Wiesblatt's game winner tally and added another powerplay helper late in the game to seal a successful week.

McKenna has dazzled hockey fans since being selected by Medicine Hat first overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.

He's second in the rookie scoring race with 15 goals (including two game-winners), and 31 assists for 46 points in 36 games.

Medicine Hat (25-12-2-0) leads the Central Division and boasts the most goals (178) and second-highest goal differential (+62) in the WHL.

The Tigers are back in action on January 12 when they travel to Lethbridge (18-16-3-0) for the first of two meetings between the teams this week.

2023-24 Tempo WHL Player of the Week

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

GIANTS NETMINDER MIRWALD NAMED WHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Vancouver Giants netminder Brett Mirwald has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending January 7, 2024.

The 20-year-old went 2-0-0-0 in back-to-back starts against Calgary and Brandon, putting up a 1.97 goals-against average, .958 save percentage and a 48-save shutout.

Mirwald kicked off 2024 with a 43-save performance in a 5-4 overtime win against the Calgary Hitmen. His finest moment came in the extra frame, where he slid across the crease to deny Carter Yakemchuk the hat trick and the victory on a 2-on-0 Hitmen breakaway. The Saskatoon, Sask. product was named third star in the win.

Mirwald showed no signs of wear and tear three days later when the Giants packed their bags for a trip to Brandon. The Wheat Kings rained 29 shots on Mirwald in the second period alone, but the goalie stood tall with a series of highlight-reel stops, including a deft pad stop on Andrei Maliavian and a quick-thinking double-handed grab to deny Luke Shipley when Mirwald was without his stick. Mirwald would snag first star and his second shutout of the season with a 48-save clean sheet.

Over his last six starts, Mirwald is 4-2-0-0 with a .948 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average.

Mirwald is 13-15-1-0 in his first season as the Giants' starter with a 3.20 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. He is second in minutes played (1780), shots faced (1086) and saves (991).

This marks the second time in three weeks that Mirwald has earned Goaltender of the Week honours. The 6-foot-1 netminder was picked up by Moose Jaw in the seventh round, 154th overall at the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.

The Giants (15-21-2-0) are fourth in the B.C. Division with points in four of their last ten games.

Vancouver continues a six-game road trip on January 9 when the team visits Prince Albert (17-18-0-2).

2023-24 WHL Goaltender of the Week

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

2024 NHL DRAFT-ELIGIBLE FORWARD MIETTINEN NAMED KAL TIRE WHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Julius Miettinen of the Everett Silvertips has been named Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week for the week ending January 7, 2024.

The 17-year-old led his Silvertips teammates with five goals and two assists in four games as Everett kicked off the New Year with a 2-1-0-1 run.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound forward is currently fourth in scoring among rookies with 17 goals, 16 assists and a plus-9 rating in 41 games.

Miettinen struck first in a New Year's Day tilt against the Edmonton Oil Kings at Angel of the Winds Arena. Tied 1-1 in the first period, the Helsinki, Finland product gave Everett its first lead of the game by winning a faceoff, driving the net and backhanding a rebound into the Edmonton net. While the Silvertips would fall 6-5, Miettinen finished the game with a plus-one rating, three shots on net and won 58 percent of his faceoffs.

Miettinen would show off that nose for the net in his next game out against the Portland Winterhawks. With Everett on a powerplay, Miettinen parked himself in the Hawks slot and redirected a bobbling puck that came off the shattered stick of Jesse Heslop. The Tips would fall to the division-leading Winterhawks in the shootout, but it wouldn't take long to get back in the win column.

The powerful Finn opened the scoring for a second straight game by hacking away at rebounds in front of the Thunderbirds net until the red light went on. He made a similar furious effort in the second half of the third period, with the puck squeaking out to Captain Ben Hemmerling to score the game-winner. He'd put a final stamp on the game as Seattle fought for an equalizing third goal, hunting down a defender and stealing the puck at the Seattle blue line before firing the puck into the empty net for his 16th tally of the season.

The week would culminate with a statement win over the nationally ranked Prince George Cougars on home ice. Miettinen was involved in the game-opening goal once again, this time, by flipping the puck out of the defensive zone to break out Andrew Petruk and assist on Hemmerling's lamp-lighter. Early in the second period, Miettinen jumped on a rebound, pulled the puck away from the aggressive stick of a Cougars defender and lofted it glove side to make it 3-0. The Cougars would try to force a comeback, but Miettinen's marker would stand as his third game-winning goal of the season.

This marks the second time Miettinen has been named Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week.

Miettinen was selected by Everett 30th overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft and was assigned a 'C' rating by the NHL Central Scouting Service in the fall, projecting him as a fourth-to-sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Miettinen is one of 18 WHL players invited to the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B. on January 24.

Everett (24-14-1-2) is third in the competitive U.S. Division and has points in seven of its past 10 games.

Next up, the Silvertips hit the road for an away-and-home set against the Kamloops Blazers (9-24-3-2) starting January 12.

2023-24 WHL Rookie of the Week

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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