WHL grads making an immediate impact across Canada West

Article by Brian Swane, special to CW

Dec. 3, 2025 - A total of 26 former Western Hockey League players are in their first season of Canada West men’s hockey, joining the ranks of WHL alumni across the conference.

As the season nears its midpoint, several of the newcomers are already making an impact for their respective teams. Here’s a look at Canada West’s first-year players out of the WHL.

Alberta Golden Bears

First-Year WHL Alumni: Jacob Dewitt (D), Rhett Melnyk (F), Marcus Pacheco (F), Owen Pederson (F), Drew Sim (G)

Spotlight: Owen Pederson

Former Winnipeg Ice forward Owen Pederson joined the Golden Bears for 2025-26 after playing two seasons of pro hockey with the Maine Mariners in the ECHL.

Through the first 14 games of his Canada West career, the Stony Plain product has scored four goals and recorded five assists for an average of 0.64 points per game. He is tied for third among all Golden Bears forwards with a plus/minus rating of +4, and his two power-play goals are second most on the team.

In Alberta’s last game, against the Trinity Western Spartans on Nov. 29, Pederson fired an incredible 10 shots on goal, the most by any player in Canada West so far this season.

Calgary Dinos

First-Year WHL Alumni: Pavel Bocharov (D), Tre Fouquette (D), Riley Gannon (F), Jari Kykkanen (G), Gavin Schmidt (F), Hayden Pakkala (F), Wyatt Wilson (D)

Spotlight: Hayden Pakkala

With 10 goals through 18 games, forward Hayden Pakkala not only ranks first on the Dinos, but is tops among all rookies in the conference. In fact, only two players in the entire conference have scored more times than Pakkala so far this season.

The 21-year-old from Okotoks also leads all rookies in power-play goals (4), and shots on goal (53). He has scored twice in the shootout, tied for most among all skaters in Canada West.

Pakkala wrapped up his four-season WHL career as a member of the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2024-25. He got off to a hot start in Canada West, notching four goals, including a pair of game-winners, in his first five games as a Dino.

MacEwan Griffins

First-Year WHL Alumni: Keaton Dowhaniuk (D), Dwayne Jean Jr. (F), Nathan MacPherson-Ridgewell (F)

Spotlight: Keaton Dowhaniuk

Following the end of his tremendous six-season WHL career in 2024-25, 21-year-old Keaton Dowhaniuk enrolled at MacEwan, joining older sibling and fellow WHL alumnus Logan Dowhaniuk, 23, on the Griffins’ blueline.

Partnering frequently with his big brother, Keaton has quickly adapted to Canada West competition. The Sherwood Park product, who spent last season with the Prince George Cougars, Moose Jaw Warriors, and Red Deer Rebels, hasn’t sat out a game since joining the Griffins.

Over 16 contests thus far, Keaton has racked up two goals, seven assists, 26 shots on goal, and 26 penalty minutes, while accumulating a plus/minus rating of +3. ​ With nine points, Keaton leads all MacEwan defencemen and ranks third among rookie blueliners in the conference.

Manitoba Bisons

First-Year WHL Alumni: Samuel Borschowa (D), Zach Turner (D)

Spotlight: Samuel Borschowa

Defenceman Samuel Borschowa joined the Bisons after spending three years in the WHL, beginning in 2022-23 with the Moose Jaw Warriors and concluding last season with the Kamloops Blazers.

In 119 career WHL games, including regular season and playoffs, the McTaggart, Sask., product scored just three times, but he needed just four games to score his first career Canada West goal, lighting the lamp against the Calgary Dinos on Oct. 18. Two weeks later, Borschowa picked up his first assist, on the game-winning goal by Dawson Pasternak in the Herd’s 4-3 road victory over Saskatchewan.

Borschowa has appeared in all 14 of Manitoba’s games thus far, totalling 11 shots on goal and 14 penalty minutes.

Mount Royal Cougars

First-Year WHL Alumni: Ethan Buenaventura (G), Ryan Nolan (D)

Spotlight: Ethan Buenaventura

After spending his entire WHL career with the Calgary Hitmen, Winnipeg native Ethan Buenaventura elected to stick around town and attend Mount Royal University, where he has formed a formidable tag-team with veteran Cougars netminder Riley Sims. Through the Cougars’ first 16 games, the rookie has made nine starts, including both games last weekend against the crosstown rival Calgary Dinos.

Buenaventura, 21, leads all rookie Canada West rookie netminders in wins (5) and goals-against average (2.54). He has allowed more than three goals just once while limiting the opposition to two or fewer goals in six of his nine games.

Over his last four appearances, Buenaventura is 3-0-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average and .896 save percentage.

Saskatchewan Huskies

First-Year WHL Alumni: Eric Johnston (D), Karter Prosofsky (D), Conner Roulette (F), Ben Saunderson (D), Bryan Thomson (G)

Spotlight: Conner Roulette

Conner Roulette has burst on the scene in Canada West: Through 14 contests with the Huskies, he’s racked up seven goals and 11 assists for an average of 1.29 points per game, highest among all rookies in the conference.

The winger from Winnipeg has already delivered a few standout performances. In only his third game, on Oct. 17, Roulette scored at 2:06 of overtime, giving Saskatchewan a 5-4 victory over Trinity Western. One week later, on Oct. 24 in Saskatoon, he had one goal, three assists, and finished with a rating of +4 to lead Saskatchewan to an 8-1 triumph over the Regina Cougars.

Roulette, who was selected 111^th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft, spent parts of six seasons in the WHL.

UBC Thunderbirds

First-Year WHL Alumni: Nicholas Jones (G), Jace Weir (D)

Spotlight: Jace Weir

Former Red Deer Rebels rearguard Jace Weir, 21, has played a big role in the success of the first-place Thunderbirds, playing the point on Canada West’s No.1-ranked power-play.

Through 16 games, Weir has a pair of goals and 14 helpers to go with a plus/minus rating of +15. He leads all Canada West rookies in assists and has the second most helpers among all defencemen in the conference. Eight of Weir’s 16 points have come with the man-advantage, which is tops among rookies.

Since going -2 in his Canada West debut on Oct. 3, the 21-year-old Weir has played 15 straight games without registering a negative rating.

WHL Scholarship Program

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.

For each season played in the WHL, a player is awarded a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which includes tuition, compulsory fees, and required textbooks. 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.

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.