MHKY: WHL talent dominates all-star, all-rookie teams
CW semifinal weekend set for Edmonton, Saskatoon
EDMONTON – Canada West's men's hockey all-star and all-rookie teams were announced Wednesday, as former WHL players once again powered the three teams.
Of the 18 players honoured ahead of this weekend's semifinal series, 16 are graduates of the WHL, highlighting the important role the WHL plays in providing the majority of CW men's hockey talent.
The conference's first all-star team was exclusively WHL grads, including goaltender Taran Kozun of the Saskatchewan Huskies and regular season scoring champion Matt Alfaro of the Calgary Dinos. The pair combined to play nearly 400 WHL regular season games over their junior careers, and will face off this weekend in Saskatoon when the Huskies host the Dinos in a best-of-three semifinal.
In the other conference semi, the Alberta Golden Bears and their five combined all-stars and all-rookies host the UBC Thunderbirds, who are fresh off an upset of Mount Royal in the conference quarters.
CW MEN'S HOCKEY PLAYOFF CENTRAL
Both semifinals go Friday and Saturday (Sunday if necessary), with puck drop at 7 p.m. local for all games.
You can watch every game on the road to the CW Final by tuning into Canada West TV Presented by Co-op.
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN / LAST WHL TEAM
- F / Matthew Alfaro / Calgary / 3 / Business / Calgary, AB / Lethbridge
- F / Riley Lindgren / Mount Royal / 2 / Arts / East St. Paul, MB / Swift Current
- F / Grayson Pawlenchuk / Alberta / 2 / Business / Edmonton, AB / Red Deer
- D / Adam Henry / Manitoba / 5 / Management / Winnipeg, MB / Portland
- D / Clayton Kirichenko / Alberta / 3 / Kin., Sport, & Rec. / Sherwood Park, AB / Medicine Hat
- G / Taran Kozun / Saskatchewan / 3 / Arts & Science / Nipawin, SK / Seattle
- F / Coda Gordon / Calgary / 5 / Business / Cochrane, AB / Swift Current
- F / Cole Sanford / Alberta / 4 / Native Studies / Coldstream, BC / Regina
- F / Collin Shirley / Saskatchewan / 3 / Business / Saskatoon, SK / Kamloops
- D / Gordie Ballhorn / Saskatchewan / 2 / Business / Wetaskiwin, AB / Kelowna
- D / Jesse Lees / Mount Royal / 4 / Health & Phys. Ed / Calgary, AB / Prince Albert
- G / Riley Morris / Mount Royal / 2 / Open Studies / Calgary, AB / Okotoks (AJHL)
- F / Jared Dmytriw / Saskatchewan / Business / Craven, SK / Vancouver
- F / Kaden Elder / Calgary / Open Studies / Saskatoon, SK / Swift Current
- F / Noah Philp / Alberta / Arts / Canmore, AB / Seattle
- D / Connor Blake / Mount Royal / Open Studies / Calgary, AB / Grande Prairie (AJHL)
- D / Dawson Davidson / Alberta / Arts / Moosomin, SK / Saskatoon
- G / Brodan Salmond / Calgary / Open Studies / Calgary, AB / Moose Jaw