Prospect News: Jugnauth Awarded Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy For Defender Of The Year

Caroline Anne

May 7, 2025

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136136Members·2.1K2,150Posts

Caroline Anne

May 7, 2025

Partner

Tyson Jugnauth is the eighth Portland Winterhawk—and the first since 2014—to win the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s top defenseman.

@Portland Winterhawks

The 20-year-old, 5-foot-11 rear guard was acquired from Kamloops and drafted by Seattle in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Jugnauth reached several milestones during his time with Portland, including 130 points in 106 games. In the 2024 season, he led all WHL defensemen with 89 points (13G-76A) in 65 games, finishing second on the team and 13th overall in league scoring. He ranked third in assists and led the WHL with 35 power-play assists.

On December 7, 2024, he recorded six assists in a win over Vancouver—becoming just the second WHL defenceman since 1997 to achieve that in a regular-season game. He also had two 10-game point streaks during the season.

Jugnauth added 16 points in the 2024 WHL Playoffs, helping Portland reach the Championship Series. He was also named a WHL Western Conference First-Team All-Star. In his last season with Portland he led to team to the second round of the Western Conference finals with 4 goals and 29 assists.

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thehockeynews.comProspect News: Spokane Chiefs Sweep Their Way To WHL Final, Set For Historic Clash With Medicine Hat TigersFor the first time since their championship run in 2008, the Spokane Chiefs are headed back to the WHL Championship Series. Led by star forward Berkly Catton, the Chiefs punched their ticket in dramatic fashion, completing a four-game sweep of the Portland Winterhawks with a thrilling 6–4 victory in Game 4 last Thursday night. With the win, Spokane claimed the Western Conference title and secured a shot at WHL supremacy.

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