There are few players in the CHL like Landon DuPont. The Everett Silvertips' 16-year-old defenceman is entering his second WHL season and is looking to improve on a 2024-25 campaign, which saw him win the CHL's Rookie of the Year. Ultimately, DuPont has high expectations for the 2025-26 season, which could feature another trophy by the end of the campaign. 

DuPont had a very memorable first season in the WHL. He recorded 60 points in 64 games while adding 15 points in 10 playoff games. While the season didn't end the way DuPont wanted, there were plenty of lessons he learned that will help him become a better player in the future. 

"Last year was a great year, said DuPont. "We had a really strong team, but we fell short. I felt like me and all my teammates learned a lot last year."

On top of winning CHL Rookie of the Year, DuPont was able to achieve a feat last accomplished by Scott Niedermayer. In early February, he became the first rookie defenseman to log 50 points in a season since the Hall of Famer during the 1989-90 season. As DuPont explained, surpassing the milestone was a special moment as he was able to accomplish something not seen in the WHL for over three decades. 

"It's pretty crazy to compare yourself to him, because obviously, he was such a great player. It kind of motivates you to keep going. It's cool hearing that, but to see where he got to in his career and to see where I can push myself to is pretty special. So I think just pushing myself to get there, it motivated me."

This summer, DuPont won a Bronze Medal for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. This wasn't his first time representing Canada, as he also played in the 2024 U17 World Challenge, where he won a Silver Medal. The next step in DuPont's Hockey Canada journey will be the World Juniors, which he hopes will happen as early as this year. 

"It's been a dream of mine. It's a dream of every kid growing up. You always want to represent your country. So to do it this summer was pretty special. It's always been my dream to play World Juniors for my country. So hopefully, if not this year, maybe sometime in my career, I'd be able to play World Juniors. Big goal of mine is to try and make that team this year."

Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, DuPont is ready to once again be a key contributor for the Silvertips. He now has a year of experience under his belt and not only understands the WHL better, but the city of Everett. As DuPont explained, the nerves of being the new kid in town are gone, which should allow him to focus on having a strong start to the year. 

"Definitely more relaxed. You just feel more comfortable around everyone. You've played a year with all those guys and spent time here with coaches in your billet family, and so you're just more relaxed. And I feel like last year, this time around, I was more jittery and more nervous and almost scared to know what was gonna come. But this year, I just want to jump right into it, and I'm super excited."

DuPont has high expectations for his second year in the WHL. He worked hard all off-season to improve his overall game and is focused on being a better player at both ends of the ice. DuPont is also focused on winning a championship while achieving a feat no other Silvertips player has done in franchise history. 

"Just get better every day. Try to work on my game. The Memorial Cup is the ultimate goal. But I think just a personal goal for me is to get better every day. I like to push myself, so hopefully I can push myself to win the Defenceman of the Year... You want to see improvement in your stats each year. I felt like I had a good off-season. Was just working on my scoring and stuff like that. So obviously, I want to surpass the 60 points that I had last year. But you know, I'm not going to force it. I'm just gonna do whatever it takes to help my team win, and I'm just gonna play like I did last year. I'm not gonna add any pressure, but it's definitely something I want to surpass."

Despite his young age, DuPont is already a star in the CHL. There are few defencemen who can impact the game like he can, which is one of the reasons Everett is considered a favourite in the WHL. Ultimately, it will not be shocking if DuPont is in Kelowna this coming June, not only collecting another award, but attempting to bring the Memorial Cup back to the WHL for the first time since 2014. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News. 

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