Darwin Knelsen

2018 DubNetwork Awards: Eastern Conference First, Second and Third Teams

It’s that time of year again folks. The 2017-18 regular season has concluded and our team  at DubNetwork.ca has watched a ton of games.

I reached out to our beat writers and those associated with the site and had them votes on a variety of categories, just like we did a season ago.

Aleksi Heponiemi (Darwin Knelsen)

A huge effort was put in to make sure that each position the player was categorized into was the one that they played the majority of the season at based on line charts from the season.

In some cases this was pretty close, but whichever percentage was higher, was the one they were placed into.

Today we reveal our first, second and third all-star teams for both conferences. First we start with the Easter Conference.

Eastern Conference First Team:

Left Wing: Aleksi Heponiemi- Swift Current Broncos

-Aleksi was one of the only unanimous first team players. In his second year in the WHL, the Finnish play maker continued his chemistry with overage center Glenn Gawdin and Right Wing Tyler Steenbergen to tally an impressive 90 assists and 28 goals for 118 points.

If he hadn’t missed 17 games, he probably would have won the regular season scoring title. His 2.07 points-per-game were the highest in the WHL. He also had the the longest point streak in the league as he put up at least one point for 28 straight games.

Center: Glenn Gawdin – Swift Current Broncos

-Gawdin was the definition of consistent for the Broncos. While Steenbergen and Heponiemi missed time at the 2018 World Junior Championships, the overage prospect of the Calgary Flames, kept the Broncos piling up wins.

He finished the season with the second most points in the WHL as he piled up 56 goals and added 69 assists for 125 points. This was the 13th most points a Broncos player had piled up in a season and most since 1993 when Jason Krywulk had 162 and Rick Girard had 141.

Right Wing: Jayden Halbgewachs – Moose Jaw Warriors

Jayden Halbgewachs (Andy Devlin)

-Halbgewachs – another unanimous first teamer – notched 70 goals and added 59 assists for 129 points. That was good enough for him to win the WHL’s scoring title.

He put up 50 a season ago and improved on that dramatically. His 70 goals are the most since Pavel Brendl had 73 in the 1998-99 WHL season.

The Warriors sniper’s season was good enough that the San Jose Sharks signed him as an overage free agent.

He also finds himself tied for the most goals ever scored in a season in Moose Jaw’s team history. He is tied with Blair Atcheynum who put up his 70 goals in 1988-89.

Defensemen: Colby Sissons – Swift Current Broncos and David Quenneville – Medicine Hat Tigers

Sissons (Marko Ditkun)

-Sissons scored six goals and added 22 assists for 28 points in 2016-17. This year, he blew those numbers away while providing shutdown defense in his own zone. He scored 13 goals and added 58 assists for 71 points – an improvement of 43 on the year before.

The New Jersey Devils signed prospect also was third overall in plus/minus with a plus-46.

Quenneville was relied upon to provide even more offense than his 59 points from last year, with the Tigers losing so much offensive talent from the team that piled up goals a year ago.

The d-man did just that. He scored 26 times and fired a league-high (for any d-man) 314 shots on goal, while adding 54 assists for 80 points in 70 games.

The New York Islanders prospect put up more points this year than any blue liner wearing the Tigers sweater ever had. His 214 career points, also have him tops among any Medicine Hat d-men ever.

Goalie: Stuart Skinner – Swift Current Broncos

-Skinner is the fourth Broncos player named to our top-six in the East. Since coming over from the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the deadline, Skinner has put up a 2.68 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. The Edmonton Oilers prospect had six shutouts over the season which was good for second most in the WHL. He had 14 wins with the Hurricanes and added 16 more with the Broncos for 30 overall.

Stuart Skinner (Andy Devlin)

His calm presence in net for the Broncos has them preparing for a long playoff run.

Eastern Conference Second Team:

LW: Mark Rassell – Medicine Hat Tigers

C: Sam Steel – Regina Pats

RW: Brayden Burke – Moose Jaw Warriors

Defense: Kale Clague – Moose Jaw Warriors and Josh Mahura – Regina Pats.

Goalie: Logan Flodell – Lethbridge Hurricanes

Eastern Conference Third Team:

LW: Ty Lewis – Brandon Wheat Kings

C: Brett Howden – Moose Jaw Warriors

RW: Tyler Steenbergen – Swift Current Broncos

Defense: Cale Fleury – Regina Pats and Calen Addison – Lethbridge Hurricanes

Goalie: Brody Willms- Moose Jaw Warriors