MHKY: Hanus named CW Player of the Year

March 4, 2025 - Mount Royal Cougars defenceman Clay Hanus has been named the 2025 Canada West Men's Hockey Player of the Year.

The star blue-liner from Excelsior, Minnesota picked up a trio of major conference recognitions on Tuesday, rewarding his dominant 2024-25 campaign. In addition to being named the conference's most valuable player, Hanus was recognized with the Mervyn “Red” Dutton Trophy as Top Defenceman, and the Dave "Sweeney" Schriner Scoring Trophy as Top Scorer.

The former Portland Winterhawks captain took his game to new heights in his third Canada West season, leading all players with 43 points, tallying 12 goals and 31 assists in 28 games. His offensive flare and strong two-way game led the Cougars to the top of the West Division with a 22-6 record.

Hanus is the fourth straight MRU student-athlete to be recognized with Player of the Year honours, following in the footsteps of current teammate Connor Bouchard (2024), as well as Riley Sawchuk (2023) and Nolan Yaremko (2022).

The conference revealed it's full list of 2024-25 major award winners on Tuesday, including:

The Saskatchewan Huskies were recognized with the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy, awarded to the goaltenders on the team with the fewest goals against during regular season play. Led by the trio of Roddy Ross, Jordan Kooy and Ethan Chadwick, the Huskies allowed just 61 goals against while sporting a team GAA of 2.15.

The MacEwan Griffins received the Fair Play Trophy, given to the team with the fewest penalty minutes.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR, TOP DEFENCEMAN and TOP SCORER: Clay Hanus, Mount Royal Cougars ​

Clay Hanus has been named the Canada West Player of the Year, Top Defenceman, and Top Scorer after a phenomenal 2024-25 season. The dynamic blue-liner led all players in Canada West with 43 points, tallying 12 goals and 31 assists in 28 games.

He was particularly lethal in special teams situations, compiling six goals and 18 assists with the man advantage.

The trio of recognitions is a remarkable feat for the third-year defenceman, who led the Cougars to the top of their division with his savvy offensive ability and playmaking skills. While the offensive numbers are impressive, Hanus was also counted on for his strong defensive game, finishing the regular season with a team best +17 rating.

His all-around dominance powered the Cougars to a 22-6 record, giving the team a first round bye and home ice advantage in the semifinals. MRU would use that advantage to full effect last weekend, defeating Alberta in three games to earn the program's first ever trip to the CW Final.

Hanus is also the recipient of the Dave "Sweeney" Schriner Scoring Trophy as the conference's top scorer, and the Mervyn “Red” Dutton Trophy as the conference's Top Defenceman.

He will move forward as the Canada West nominee for the Sullivan Trophy, presented annually to the Outstanding Men's Hockey Athlete of the Year in U SPORTS.

"It has been an amazing season of accomplishments for Clay. He has earned all of it with his dominant, consistent, high level play all season long. It's been so much fun to see him grow and develop into not only an exceptional defenceman but a great young man as well." - MRU Head Coach Bert Gilling

TOP GOALTENDER: Roddy Ross, Saskatchewan Huskies

Following a sensational season between the pipes for the top-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies, Roddy Ross is recognized as the top goaltender in Canada West. The veteran netminder led the conference in both major statistics among qualified goaltenders with a .928 save percentage and 1.99 goals against average.

His ability to raise his game to the required level in each start, coupled with his impressive composure, played a key role in the Huskies' success all season. A standout performance included a pivotal 20 save outing in a 4-1 win over rival Alberta on Jan. 25, a win that would kickstart the Dogs' run to the best record in the conference at 23-5.

Ross joins former Huskie goalies Taran Kozun (2018-19, 2019-20), Jordan Cooke (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18) as the only USask student-athletes to be named the top conference goaltenders. 

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (U of A Hockey Alumni Trophy): Sean Tschigerl, Alberta Golden Bears

Leading Canada West in goals as a freshman, first-year Golden Bear Sean Tschigerl was awarded the UofA Hockey Alumni Trophy as CW Rookie of the Year on Tuesday.

Tschigerl recorded a conference-best 20 goals, finishing second with 39 points in 26 games, the most of any rookie in Canada West. The former Calgary Hitmen star was remarkably consistent, recording a point in 22 of his 26 regular season games, adding 70 shots and a +29 rating.

His 39 points were tied for sixth most in U SPORTS, as he was the only rookie in Canada West who was named a first team All-Star. Tschigerl was also named the WHL Graduate of the Month in October after recording 15 points in eight games. The forward’s offensive flare has carried over from an impressive WHL tenure that saw him rack up 95 goals and 212 points over the course of six seasons with the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes

Tschigerl is the 12^th Golden Bear to be named Canada West Rookie of the Year, and first since teammate Jakin Smallwood won the award in 2023.

“Sean has had a dominant first year in Canada West hockey. His skill and competitiveness have made him a dangerous player every time he is on the ice. Sean has been a fantastic addition for our program and Canada West hockey.” – Alberta Head Coach Ian Herbers

COACH OF THE YEAR: Brandin Cote, Saskatchewan Huskies

After guiding the Saskatchewan Huskies to conference's best record (23-5-0) and top seed for the first time since 2018-19, Brandin Cote has been named the Canada West Coach of the Year for the first time in his three seasons as the Dogs' bench boss.

Cote's squad led Canada West in wins (23) and points (46) in 2024-25, while also boasting the best goal differential (+59), power play (31.1%), and penalty kill (89.4%).

In his three seasons at the helm, the former Western Hockey League captain and coach has continued to position the Huskies as a perennial contender in Canada West. With their semifinal series win over UBC last weekend, Cote has already secured his first trip to a U SPORTS national championship later this month. He'll look for his first Canada West conference championship this weekend, as the Huskies battle the Mount Royal Cougars in the Canada West Final.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Blake Gustafson, Alberta Golden Bears

Second year defeneceman Blake Gustafson has been a reliable presence on the Golden Bears blue line, counted on for his relentless work ethic, physical play, and doing whatever it takes to ensure team success.

That same work ethic also applies to the way he gives back to his community. A strong academic student-athlete with an impressive grade point average of 3.8 in the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology program at UofA, Gustafson's commitment to academic excellence and extensive volunteer work has earned him 2024-25 Canada West Men's Hockey Student-Athlete Community Service Award honours. ​ ​ ​ ​

Blake has made a tremendous community impact as the Vice President of Outreach for the UAB Varsity Board, playing a crucial role in fostering volunteerism within the university’s student-athlete community. He regularly communicates with Golden Bears and Pandas team representatives to promote volunteer opportunities and facilitate sign-ups. One of his major accomplishments this season was organizing the Golden Bears' first-ever Teddy Bear Toss, successfully raising $810 and collecting 423 teddy bears for donation. His efforts also secured a $4,000 booster fund to enhance future events.

Beyond his work with the Varsity Board, Blake is dedicated to coaching and mentoring young athletes, serving as an assistant coach for the Ardrossan Jr/Sr High men’s varsity soccer team. His commitment to community service extends to hands-on volunteering, such as helping to prepare and serve meals at the Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre’s annual Christmas dinner.

Blake’s leadership and passion for giving back were also on display as an executive with PowerPlay Goals for Change (PPGFC), a charity organization founded by Bears hockey players in support of the Stollery Children’s Foundation. He designed promotional materials for their charity game night and spearheaded multiple fundraising initiatives, with all earnings donated to the Stollery.

"Blake Gustafson is known for his relentless work ethic and leadership on and off the ice. A former WHL player, he has embraced the WHL Scholarship program to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology while balancing academics and athletics. Beyond his performance on the ice, Gustafson is dedicated to community involvement and mentorship, using his platform to inspire young athletes. With aspirations of attending medical school, he exemplifies the dedication needed to succeed both in sport and academics while serving his community." – Alberta Head Coach Ian Herbers

UBC HOCKEY ALUMNI TROPHY FOR SPORTSMANSHIP AND ABILITY: Josh Prokop, Alberta Golden Bears

The heartbeat of the Alberta Golden Bears, fourth-year captain Josh Prokop was named the recipient of the Canada West Sportsmanship and Ability Award on Tuesday.

The 79^th captain in team history, Prokop finished just one point shy of his fourth-straight point-per-game season, recording 12 goals and 27 points in 28 games. Prokop’s 27 points slotted him 14^th in Canada West, with his four penalty minutes the fewest by any player inside the top 50 in conference scoring.

Prokop added 98 shots and a +18 rating in 28 regular season games for Alberta, leading the team in shots, and recording seven multi-point games. He finishes his fourth season with 113 points in 104 Canada West contests.

Prokop spent three seasons in the Western Hockey League prior to joining the Golden Bears in 2021, captaining the Calgary Hitmen in 2020-21. He is the 12^th Golden Bear to be given the UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy, and first since former teammate and Bears captain Matt Fonteyne in 2023.

“Josh has had another outstanding season for our program. He is a leader for us on and off the ice. His passion, commitment, dedication and discipline have made him one of the top players in Canada West hockey.” – Alberta Head Coach Ian Herbers