Daily Dose

Daily Dose of the DUB: Williams named Everett Interim GM, East Division WHL award winners and more

Written by Paul Figler on

Williams named Silvertips Interim General Manager

The Everett Silvertips announced on Tuesday that they have added the Interim General Manager tag to Head Coach Dennis Williams’ portfolio. Williams has been the head coach of the Silvertips over the last four seasons, compiling a 159-53-7-7 record.

“Dennis’ experience helps us address an immediate need inside our hockey operations department with the CHL Import Draft coming up,” said Rajcic in a press release. “As we handle the objective of ‘what’s important next,’ he is a confident, well-connected, and driven individual to help us reach our goals in the oncoming months.”

Blades sign two prospects

The Saskatoon Blades announced on Tuesday that they have signed two players from the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft class. Misha Volotovskii and Jordan Keller both signed WHL Standard Player Agreements. More information can be found in the above article or on the Saskatoon Blades website.

Fiddler departs Rockets

Citing family reasons, Vernon Fiddler has resigned as an assistant coach with the Kelowna Rockets. More can be found in the article posted above or on the Kelowna Rockets website.

East Division WHL award winners

East Division awards were handed out by the Western Hockey League on Tuesday.

  • Player of the Year – Peyton Krebs
  • Goaltender of the Year – Nolan Maier
  • Defenceman of the Year – Braden Schneider
  • Rookie of the Year – Connor Bedard
  • Most Sportsmanlike player – Kyle Crnkovic
  • Scholastic Player of the Year – Nolan Allan
  • Top Scorer – Peyton Krebs

All players are the East Division’s nominees for the league awards that will be handed out beginning on June 7, 2021.

U.S. Priority Draft Lottery results to be announced Thursday

The 2021 WHL U.S. Priority Draft Lottery will determine the order of selection for the two rounds of the 2021 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, which is scheduled to be held Wednesday, December 8, 2021. The WHL will announce the results of the Draft Lottery on its YouTube page as well as making it available on whl.ca

Connauton earns contract extension with Florida

Defenseman Kevin Connauton (69GP, 24G, 48A with Vancouver ’09-’10) has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Florida Panthers. Connauton played in seven games with the Panthers this season, registering one assist. Originally a 2009 Vancouver Canucks third-round pick, Connauton has played 321 NHL games over eight seasons with five teams.

Kinder signs with Pinguins

Forward Nino Kinder (49GP, 11G, 10A with Winnipeg ’19-’20) has signed with the Fischtown Pinguin of the DEL. Kinder spent 2020-21 with Eisbaren Berlin (DEL, 27GP, 0G, 2A) and Lausitzer Fuchse (DEL2, 12GP, 0G, 3A). The ICE selected Kinder 64th overall at the 2019 CHL Import Draft.

Former WHL goaltender commits to NCAA

In a rare move, a former WHL player has committed to the NCAA’s Northern Michigan hockey team. The team is part of the NCAA’s DIV 1 schools. Kaedan Lane played two games for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2017-18 season, finishing with a 0-0-1 record, a .879 save percentage, and a 2.73 goals-against average. Lane has since played for the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm and the BCHL’s Penticton Vees.

It is likely that Lane was able to apply to have his eligibility reinstated, however, there is also the potential for there to be a penalty for playing a “year” in the WHL, and will possibly lose a year of eligibility.

Mihalik signs extension

Defenseman Vladimir Mihalik (115GP, 10G, 28A with Red Deer and Prince George ’05-’07) has signed a contract extension with HK Dukla Michalovce of Slovakia. Mihalik will enter his second season with the team after scoring five goals and adding 12 assists in 2020-21. The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Mihalik in the first round of the 2005 NHL Draft, and he went on to play 15 NHL games. Red Deer selected Mihalik 36th overall at the 2005 CHL Import Draft.

Americans name Bryan Collier Equipment Manager

The Tri-City Americans announced the hiring of Sioux City Musketeers Equipment Manager Bryan Collier to the same position with the organization. Collier also worked for the Seattle Thunderbirds beginning in 2012, where his father is the assistant equipment manager.

Stuart commits to St. FX

Forward Brodi Stuart (204GP, 45G, 70A with Kamloops) has committed to the University of St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, NB. Stuart spent the 2020-21 season helping behind the bench of the Blazers, as he was one of four 20-year-olds vying for a spot on the roster. It was determined that Stuart had an injury that forced him out for the season.