(Kelowna, BC) The current rules allow each Western Hockey League team to include three 20-year-old players on their roster. These are seemingly interchangeable spots on a WHL roster throughout the season, often devoted to players with high-end skills or, perhaps just as important, high-end character.
At 20 years of age, a WHL player might be fully four years older than some of his teammates. It’s a disparity that has been spoken to and debated in many quarters over the years, with many conflicting opinions.
The effectiveness of these 20-year-old players is crucial throughout the grind that is the 72-game regular season. They can also have an enormously positive impact on their younger teammates, both on and off the ice.
The 2017-18 season provided WHL followers with tremendous excitement, highs and lows associated with triumph and despair, achievement and injury, development and progress. The 20-year-old players are a huge part of this experience.
As DUBNetwork contributors, we have pooled our intellectual resources throughout the season and we remain attentive and committed during the playoffs. We are confident we’ll see much more of the same from the players and coaches – the people who make it all happen for us.
As a group in the WHL this season, the 60+ overage players have devoted the majority of their teenage years to junior hockey. Many will move on to play hockey during their post-secondary school years, thanks to the WHL’s generous scholarship program. Some of these wily veterans will earn National Hockey League contracts or play professionally around the globe.
As a tribute, we have selected our own WHL All-Star team, consisting of only 20-year-old players, many of whom have already played their final WHL game.
The criteria?
Our panel of DUBNetwork contributors based their selections on 2017-18 regular season performances. Positions are based on listings used by the WHL website.
Centre: Jayden Halbgewachs, Moose Jaw Warriors
Halbgewachs led the WHL scoring race this season, contributed to the Warriors run to the top of the league standings and helped the team post a total of 326 goals, 39 ahead of the next best producing team, the Victoria Royals.
The 5’8, 165-pounder from Emerald Park, Saskatchewan, located just outside of Regina, was a member of the Warriors high-octane group of 20-year-olds that included Brayden Burke and Tanner Jeannot.
Halbgewachs led the league with 70 goals and added 59 assists for 129 points and a plus-43 rating while appearing in all 72 regular season games. All told, Halbgewachs appeared in 276 regular season games and 26 post-season matches.
He played in one pre-season game with the Kamloops Blazers before being dealt to the Warriors where he remained for the entirety of his WHL career. Undrafted, Halbgewachs signed an entry level contract with the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 28, 2017.
Draft Status:
WHL: (2012) Round: 1, #19 – KAM
Right Wing: Ty Ronning, Vancouver Giants
Ronning was a huge contributor to the Giants emergence in the B.C. Division as a legitimate playoff team, leading the 2017-18 edition to the post-season for the first time in four years.
The 5’9, 172-pounder from Burnaby was a key member of a veteran core that included two other 20-year-olds: defencemen Darian Skeoch and Brennan Riddle.
Ronning scored 61 goals this season and also added 23 assists in 70 games. All told, Ronning graduates from the WHL having appeared in 285 regular season games and nine playoff contests.
He signed an entry level contract with the New York Rangers on March 5.
Draft Status:
NHL: (2016) Round 7, #201 – NYR
WHL: (2012) Round 1, #15 – VAN
Left Wing: Brayden Burke, Moose Jaw Warriors
Burke was a key offensive producer throughout his junior career, a journey that began at the WHL Bantam Draft with the Red Deer Rebels, then Lethbridge with the Hurricanes, before hid stay in Moose Jaw.
The 5’11, 165-pounder forward from Edmonton was part of the Warriors high-octane 20-year-old forward group that included Halbgewachs and Tanner Jeannot.
Burke is primarily a play-maker, adept at locating team mates in the attacking zone. He scored 31 goals and added 82 assists this season in 61 games. All told for his WHL career, he appeared in 238 regular season games and 26 post-season contests, collecting 368 points along the way.
While Burke was not selected at an NHL Draft, he was signed by the Arizona Coyotes to an entry level contract on March 1.
Draft Status:
WHL: (2012) Round 7, #145 – RD
Defence: Turner Ottenbreit, Seattle Thunderbirds
Ottenbreit was a force on the blueline this season in Seattle, a key veteran contributor who helped the Thunderbirds capture a post-season berth during a season many prognosticators felt the team would experience a lull competitively. The 20-year-old group also included Austin Strand and Donovan Neuls.
The 6’4, 195-pounder from Yorkton, Saskatchewan was a physical presence throughout his WHL career and his overage season may have been his best all around campaign. He wore the “C” this season in Seattle.
Offensively, Ottenbreit scored nine goals and added 38 assists for 48 points; all career highs. All told, the burly rearguard appeared in 284 regular season games and 49 post-season matches. The highlight would be the T-Birds 2017 WHL Championship season and an appearance at the Memorial Cup.
Draft Status:
WHL: (2012) Round 12, #233 – SAS
Defence: Austin Strand, Seattle Thunderbirds
Strand was another key member of the Thunderbirds blueline brigade this season, perhaps the most physically imposing group in the entire WHL. Strand’s forte, however, is his ability to contribute offensively from the backend.
The 6’4, 195-pounder from Calgary scored 25 goals and added 39 assists in 69 games. All told, he appeared in 268 regular season games and 42 post-season contests.
Strand began his WHL career with the Red Deer Rebels and was dealt to Seattle midway through last season. Interestingly, he played in a total of 74 regular season games last year between Red Deer and Seattle. He became an integral defenceman on the eventual WHL league championship team.
Strand signed an entry level contract with the Los Angeles Kings on November 27, 2017
Draft Status:
WHL: (2012) Round 3, #48 – RD
Goaltender: Cole Kehler, Portland Winterhawks
Kehler found a home with the WInterhawks after a trade with the Kamloops Blazers. In fact, after two seasons with the Blazers, Kehler spent the 2015-16 season in the BCHL with the Merritt Centennials.
The 6’4, 205-pounder from Altona, Manitoba would emerge in Portland as an upper-echelon WHL goaltender. He was a solid backstopper, among a group of 20-year-olds in Portland that included Alex Overhardt and Keoni Texeira.
This past season, Kehler appeared in 53 games, posting a 2.77 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. He was one of six goalies to record 30 or more victories with a record of 30-16-1-4, including four shutouts.
Kehler signed an entry level contract with the Los Angeles Kings on December 8, 2017.
Draft Status:
WHL: (2012) Round 6, #123 – KAM
2nd Team All-Stars (2017-18)
C: Glenn Gawdin, Swift Current Broncos*
R: Patrick Bajkov, Everett Silvertips*
L: Mark Rassel, Medicine Hat Tigers*
D: Kevin Davis, Everett Silvertips**
D: Chaz Reddekopp, Victoria Royals**
G: Logan Flodell, Saskatoon Blades/Swift Current Broncos/Lethbridge Hurricanes*
* based on second highest vote recipient in respective positional category
** based on third and fourth highest vote count among defencemen
2016-17 Season
C: Adam Brooks, Regina Pats
R: Tyler Wong, Lethbridge Hurricanes
L: Ryan Gropp, Seattle Thunderbirds
D: Aaron Irving, Everett Silvertips
D: Coltyn Bobyk, Red Deer Rebels
G: Ty Edmonds, Prince George Cougars
