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 68-game regular season. They can also have an enormously positive impact on their younger teammates, both on and off the ice.
The 2018-19 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. And this season, we have three unanimous choices among the overagers.
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 lives, 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, those of whom have played their final WHL game.
The criteria?
Our selections are based solely on the 2018-19 regular season performances.
FORWARDS
Joachim Blichfeld, Portland Winterhawks (Unanimous)
Blichfeld completed his third season in Portland with a bang – capturing the WHL scoring title.
From Frederikshavn, Denmark, the six-foot-two, 187-pounder scored 53 goals (nine game-winners) and 61 added assists for 114 points in 68 games. He was especially effective on special teams, leading the WHL in power play points with 16 goals and 32 assists. He also chipped in with five shorthanded tallies.
Selected by San Jose in the seventh round, 210th overall, at the 2016 NHL Draft, Blichfeld was signed by the Sharks on December 28.
Blichfeld played his entire WHL career with the Winterhawks. He has also been prominent on the international stage, with Denmark’s WJC (twice) and U18 (twice) entries.
Draft Status
NHL – San Jose (2016) Round: 7 (#210)
CHL Import – Portland (2016) Round: 2 (#85)
Tristan Langan, Moose Jaw Warriors
Langan completed his fourth season in Moose Jaw, leading the team and the Eastern Conference in scoring.
From Swan River, Manitoba, the six-foot, 206-pounder scored 53 goals and added 60 assists for 113 points in 67 games. Langan tied for the league-lead in game winning goals with a total of 11.
Langan played his entire WHL career with the Warriors, amassing 241 regular season games played. He was a vital producer this past season as following the 2016-17 season, the Warriors graduated five of its top six scorers after winning the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy.
Draft Status:
WHL – Moose Jaw (2013) Round: 9 (#183)
Brandon Hagel, Red Deer Rebels
Hagel completed a productive four-year career with the Rebels this season, establishing career high offensive numbers as he led the team in scoring.
From Morinville, Alberta, the six-foot-one, 175-pounder scored 41 goals and added 61 assists for 102 points in 66 games, along with a plus-42 rating. During the last three seasons, Red Deer played a total of 16 playoff games in which Hagel accounted for 16 goals.
Selected in the sixth round, 159th overall, by Buffalo at the 2016 NHL Draft, the Sabres did not offer Hagel a contract. However, this past season, the Chicago Blackhawks came calling and Hagel signed an entry level deal on October 30. He appeared in eight games with the Hawks AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Draft Status:
NHL – BUF (2016) Round: 6 (#159)
NHL2 – CHI (F/A 2018)
DEFENCEMEN
Dawson Davidson, Saskatoon Blades (Unanimous)
Yet another unanimous choice by our DUBNetwork contributors, Davidson wound up his junior eligibility by leading all defencemen in scoring.
From Moosomin, Saskatchewan, the 5’11, 181-pounder scored 13 goals and added 62 assists for 75 points and a plus-27 rating in 68 games.
Davidson appeared in 301 games over five regular seasons, split between three teams; Kamloops (124), Regina (83) and Saskatoon (94). He landed in Saskatoon along with Tristen Robins as part of the mid-season trade last year that saw the Blades send Libor Hajek to the Pats for it run as 2018 Memorial Cup hosts.
Draft Status:
WHL – KAM (2013) Round: 3 (#58)
Nolan Reid, Spokane Chiefs
Reid will be remembered as a durable defender, a veteran of over 350 career WHL games split between the Saskatoon Blades and Spokane Chiefs.
From Deer Valley, Saskatchewan, the five-foot-eleven, 175-pounder scored 17 goals and added 34 assists for 51 points this season. During his two full seasons in Spokane, Reid did not miss a regular season game.
Reid landed in Spokane as part of a huge trade in December of 2016. Reid, Wyatt Sloboshan and a 2017 third round pick went to the Chiefs, while Evan Fiala, Markson Bechtold and a conditional selection went to the Blades.
Draft Status:
WHL – SAS (2013) Round: 2 (#41)
GOALTENDER
Griffen Outhouse, Victoria Royals (Unanimous)
Outhouse graduates from the WHL with his name in the Victoria Royals record book.
The Quesnel area native, specifically Likely, BC, appeared in 196 regular season games and another 30 playoff games during his four-year career. This past season, Outhouse appeared in 46 games and compiled a 27-16-1-1 record, a 2.81 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.
However, it his career numbers that are somewhat staggering. With Outhouse between the pipes, the Royals went 114-60-11-4 behind his 2.77 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Despite the numbers, the six-foot, 180-pounder has not been drafted by an NHL team.
Second Team All-Stars (2018-19)
F: Jake Elmer, Lethbridge Hurricanes
F: Noah Gregor, Prince Albert Raiders
F: Dante Hannoun, Prince Albert Raiders
D: Jared Freadrich, Portland Winterhawks
D: Aaron Hyman, Tri City Americans
G: Dylan Ferguson, Kamloops Blazers
HISTORICAL
2017-18 Season
C: Jayden Halbegwachs, Moose Jaw Warriors
R: Ty Ronning, Vancouver Giants
L: Brayden Burke, Moose Jaw Warriors
D: Austin Strand, Seattle Thunderbirds
D: Turner Ottenbreit, Seattle Thunderbirds
G: Kole Kehler, Portland Winterhawks
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
