Bryce Pickford has 24 goals in 30 games this season.
Bryce Pickford has been a goal-scoring machine this season. The Medicine Hat Tigers captain has scored 11 goals in his last five games and leads the WHL with 24 in 30 first games. Oh, by the way, Pickford is a defenceman, which makes this streak even more impressive.
As of December 14, 2025, Pickford is on pace for 53 goals in 66 points. No, that is not a typo; the 19-year-old is on pace to hit the half-century mark for goals this year. While it will take a big push the rest of the way, Pickford's willingness to fire sometimes 10 shots a night makes cracking the 50-goal mark look like a very achievable task.
If Pickford does crack the 50-goal mark, he will become just the second defenceman in WHL history to achieve the feat. The only other player to score 50 in a season was Lawrence Sacharuk of the Saskatoon Blades, who hit the milestone during the 1971-72 season. As mentioned, Pickford is on pace for 53 goals, so he has a chance to not just tie the record, but set a brand new one.
Pickford has been a force the last two seasons. He helped the Tigers make it to the Memorial Cup last year and has 44 goals in his last 78 regular-season games. His strong play led to him being drafted by the Montréal Canadiens, who selected him 81st overall this past June.
Now in his fourth WHL season, Pickford is leading by example in Medicine Hat. He is having one of the best seasons by a defenceman this Century, and is looking to become the first defender to take home CHL Player of the Year since Ryan Ellis in 2010-11. Pickford looks unstoppable at the moment, which is great news for the Tigers as they look to get back to the Memorial Cup this season.
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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