WHLers Leading The Way In The CHL
Seven WHLers are among the top ten points in the CHL.
Photo by Scramble Studio/ Brandon Wheat Kings - WHLers Leading The Way In The CHLWHLers are thriving this season. From goaltenders who have been part of every CHL Team of the Week this season to skaters who make up seven of the top ten point-getters across the three leagues, players from the WHL having years to remember. If players can continue this high level of play for the rest of the season, there is little doubt that the WHLers will feature prominently at the end-of-year awards in June.
Starting with the skaters, WHLers lead in multiple categories. When it comes to points, the top five players are from the WHL, with Jagger Firkus leading the way with 91 points. The other four are Gabe Klassen, Riley Heidt, Zac Funk and Andrew Cristall who should all reach 100 points on the year. As for some other categories, Funk leads all CHLers with 49 goals, while Trevor Wong's 70 assists lead the way as well.
Another area where WHLers are leading the way is rookie scoring. Gavin McKenna and Terik Parascak sit at the top of the CHL rookie race with 76 and 73 points each and are two of the three rookies above 50 points this season. At this point, it seems like a two-horse race for CHL Rookie of the Year as they look to join the likes of Brayden Yager, Brett Connolly and Petr Nedved as WHLers who have taken home the prestigious award.
Lastly, several goaltenders are at the top of CHL statistical categories. Jackson Unger leads all goaltenders with 27 wins on the season, while Joshua Ravensbergen's sixth shutouts rank second. Meanwhile, Jan Špunar has the best save percentage in the CHL of qualified goaltenders, while he and Evan Gardner are the only two whose goals against average are under two. Špunar and Gardner have played fantastic all season as they look to guide the Portland Winterhawks and Saskatoon Blades to the WHL Final this year.
Overall, it has been a memorable year in the WHL. From hat tricks to shutouts, it feels like almost every night, a player is putting on an exceptional performance. While it is early, it looks like this is the year the Memorial Cup could return to the WHL for the first time in a decade.
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