Bryce Pickford has been named the WHL's Defenceman of the Year for 2025-26. The Medicine Hat Tigers captain was announced as the winner of the 2026 Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy on Tuesday. Pickford is the first Tigers defenceman to win the award since Kris Russell won back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Pickford had a year to remember. He led all defenders with 45 goals, and finished second among defenceman with 83 points. Pickford also posted a plus/minus of +55, which ranked seventh in the WHL. This season could very well be the last for Pickford in the WHL. He has already signed his ELC with the Montréal Canadiens [http://thn.com/montreal] and could make the jump to the AHL [http://thn.com/ahl] next year. In 224 career WHL regular-season games, Pickford scored 73 goals while recording 165 points. Bryce Pickford of the Medicine Hat Tigers (Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders/WHL) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6ad85bb3-27c1-44b6-a25d-11f773b3f48d.jpeg] Bryce Pickford of the Medicine Hat Tigers (Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders/WHL) Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/whl]. 2026 WHL Conference Finals Daily Recap: May 3 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/game-day/2026-whl-conference-finals-daily-recap-may-3] 4 WHLers Capture Medals At The 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/4-whlers-capture-medals-at-the-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship] 2026 WHL Conference Finals Daily Recap: May 1 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/game-day/2026-whl-conference-finals-daily-recap-may-1] WHL Players Of The Month For April 2026 Revealed [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/whl-players-of-the-month-for-april-2026-revealed] Prince George Cougars Joshua Ravensbergen Named WHL Goaltender Of The Year For 2025-26 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/prince-george-cougars-joshua-ravensbergen-named-whl-goaltender-of-the-year-for-2025-26] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*11e3hua*_ga*MTk0NDM0Mzk0OS4xNzQ2MjQ0ODA2*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NjYzMzYxOTQkbzkwOSRnMSR0MTc2NjMzNzA3NyRqNTYkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. The Hockey News [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/1ad7a295-2dd0-4784-9fc4-dcccac9d4909.jpeg] The Hockey News
