Gricius named WHL Grad of the Month for January

CALGARY – It's every coach's dream: scoring with efficiency.

Jake Gricius made those dreams come true in the month of January, tying the highest point output among WHL graduates and doing it in two less games due to his team's bye week.

The Calgary Dino was spectacular, helping his team to a perfect 6-0 record in January, a stretch in which they broke the Canada West men's hockey record for consecutive wins.

The former Portland Winterhawk is a key member of a Dinos squad that has stolen the U SPORTS hockey show this season. The team is riding a 19-game win streak after breaking the conference record at 18. Gricius played a central role in these historic games, contributing on three of the team's four goals in the record-breaking victory then scoring twice in the Dinos' 19th win. Both these victories came against the league's second-best defence in the Mount Royal Cougars, but Gricius somehow made scoring look easy as he rose to the biggest moments so far of their season.

He finished the month with five goals and seven assists in six games.

The Colorado Springs, CO product is now tied for third in the conference for goals this season with 15.

Gricius' offensive talents as both a scorer and playmaker have factored largely into the Dinos' position atop the CW standings. He's shown a lethal wrist shot and alarming one-timer that have put opposing goaltenders on notice.

Gricius and the Dinos are back in action Friday and Saturday when they host the Manitoba Bisons at 7 p.m. and 3 p.m. MST respectively. You can catch all the action on Canada West TV. Friday's game will also air on TELUS Optik TV, channel 1997.

WHL GRAD OF THE MONTH

The WHL Grad of the Month is a partnership between the WHL and Canada West. CW coaches vote to select the winner each month. All nominees must have played at least one full season in the WHL and be in good standing in Canada West.

In addition to the WHL Grad of the Month initiative, the WHL supports its former athletes through annual scholarships. Established on a league-wide basis in 1993-94, over 7,500 WHL Scholarships have been accessed, representing an investment of over $33 million by WHL Clubs. This season, WHL Clubs will contribute in excess of $2 million to the 342 WHL graduates utilizing the WHL Scholarship.

In partnership with Canada West universities, more than 125 WHL Scholarship recipients each year are also awarded additional financial assistance from their university to receive Western Canada’s Premier Hockey Scholarship.