Halfway There: WHL Edition
With the WHL season at the halfway mark and headed into the holiday break – no games scheduled until December 27 – the Portland Winterhawks are on top, with a 29-5-1-0 record. Kamloops’ Colin Smith leads the league in goals, points, and assists, and the Edmonton Oil Kings are on a five-game winning streak.
• THE STANDINGS •
– The Prince Albert Raiders top the East Division, with 47 points and a 22-11-0-3 record. The team has gained a point in six of its last 10 games. The Winterhawks, meanwhile, top the U.S. Division, Western Conference and league with a 29-5-1-0 record and 59 points in 35 games. They’re defending a six-game winning streak and are 9-1-0-0 in their last ten. The Winterhawks lead the WHL in goals-for and fewest goals-against.
– At the top of the B.C. division are the Kamloops Blazers, who have a 25-9-2-2 record and 54 points in 38 games played. They’ve lost their last three games, but have won five of the past ten. The Oil Kings top the Central Division – and the Eastern Conference – with 51 points and a 23-7-2-3 record. The team is on a five-game winning streak, and has earned at least a point in eight of its past 10 games. They’ve allowed just 86 goals this season, second-lowest in the league behind Portland.
– At the other end of the spectrum are the Vancouver Giants, who have earned 18 points in 34 games this season, with a .265 winning percentage. Kootenay has the fewest goals-for in the league (80), while Brandon’s 145 goals-against are the most in the WHL.
• THE LEADERS •
– Saskatoon Blades right winger Josh Nicholls leads the WHL in goals, with 26 in 34 games. Kamloops’ Colin Smith is just one tally shy of the lead for goals, but he leads the league with 37 assists and 62 points in 38 games. Portland’s Nicolas Petan is near the top of the league in each statistic: 2nd in points (60), 4th in goals (24) and 2nd in assists (36).
– Edmonton Oil Kings center Michael St. Croix leads the league in power play goals – 13 of his 19 tallies this season have come with the extra man. Cody Sylvester (Calgary), Todd Fiddler (Spokane), Henrik Samuelsson (Edmonton) and Adam Lowry (Swift Current) all have three shorthanded goals on the year.
– Kamloops has three players in the top 10 in point scoring in the WHL: Colin Smith, JC Lipon and Tim Bozon.
– Logan Nelson of the Victoria Royals leads the WHL in shootouts, scoring on all four attempts this season – including two winning goals.
– Swift Current Broncos left winger Adam Lowry looks to continue a 12-game point streak when the WHL resumes play; he has 12 goals in the past seven games and 20 points since November 27. Kelowna’s Colton Sissons has assists in each of the past seven games, and Edmonton’s Dylan Wruck has 10 assists in the past six games.
– Fourteen players from the Western Hockey League will participate in the upcoming Top Prospects Game, which will be held in Halifax on January 16:
Eric Comrie, Seth Jones, Madison Bowey, Shea Theodore, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nicholas Petan, Hunter Shinkaruk, Curtis Lazar, Tristan Jarry, Ryan Pulock, Eric Roy, Mirco Mueller, Josh Morrissey, Morgan Klimchuk
WHL action returns on December 27 with three games: Moose Jaw vs. Regina, Red Deer vs. Edmonton and Kamloops vs. Kelowna.