Dawson Holt named WHL Grad of the Month for January

Feb. 6, 2026 – A strong January has earned Saskatchewan Huskies forward Dawson Holt Canada West’s WHL Grad of the Month honour.

The hometown Saskatoon product delivered an outstanding month for the Huskies, recording 13 points on five goals and eight assists while helping the Dogs post a tidy 6-1-1 record. He averaged 1.62 points per game during the stretch and finished the month at plus-13, continuing to assert himself as one of the most reliable two-way forwards in the conference.

The strong start to the new year has pushed Holt’s season totals to 32 points in 24 games, including 11 goals and 21 assists. The fifth-year veteran is on pace for his most productive Canada West season to date; he currently leads the Huskies in scoring and sits tied for sixth overall in the conference, while his plus-25 rating ranks first among all forwards.

The former Vancouver Giants standout has long been a heart-and-soul presence for a Huskies team seeking to defend its 2025 Canada West championship. Saskatchewan currently sits second in the Canada West East Division at 17-5-1-1 with 36 points, just two back of Mount Royal with two games in hand. The Dogs are also one point ahead of Calgary in a tightly packed playoff race as the regular season enters its final two weekends.

The Definition of a Student-Athlete

Now sporting an “A” for the Dogs, Holt’s on-ice leadership has helped solidify the Huskies as a perennial Canada West contender. Away from the rink, he has matched that commitment with excellence in the classroom. Using his WHL Scholarship, Holt has already completed an undergraduate degree in Accounting at the University of Saskatchewan and is now in his second year of a four-year Doctor of Medicine program.

Each season played in the WHL earns a player a one-year post-secondary scholarship, covering tuition, compulsory fees, and required textbooks.

A true student-athlete, Holt’s ability to balance hockey and academics has drawn praise from Huskies head coach Brandin Cote.

"The most impressive aspect of Dawson’s continued success is the fact that he has been able to maintain his dominant play on the ice while excelling in the classroom as a second-year medical student at USask," says Cote.

Holt joined the Huskies in 2021 following a successful Western Hockey League tenure that saw the forward suit up for four full seasons with the Vancouver Giants, as well as a brief stint with the Regina Pats. His most productive WHL regular season came in 2017-18, when he recorded 12 goals and 22 points in 65 games.

His most memorable junior hockey experience came during the 2019 WHL Playoffs, when he played an important role in Vancouver’s run to the WHL Championship Final. The Giants pushed the Prince Albert Raiders to game seven and came within an overtime goal short of winning the championship, with Holt contributing seven goals and nine assists across 22 playoff contests.

WHL Grad of the Month

The WHL Grad of the Month is a partnership between the WHL and Canada West, recognizing former WHL players excelling in the classroom and on the ice at the U SPORTS level. Coaches from all nine Canada West programs vote to select the recipient each month. All nominees must have played at least one full season in the WHL and be in good standing in Canada West.

In partnership with Canada West universities, numerous WHL Scholarship recipients each year are also awarded additional financial assistance from their university to receive Western Canada’s premier hockey scholarship.

Since 1993, the WHL has awarded nearly 8,000 scholarships to graduate players. The WHL is the leading supplier of hockey scholarships in Western Canada and offers one of the most comprehensive scholarships in North America.

About Canada West

As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.