Saskatoon products and Prince Albert connections make up half of the division winners/nominees for, both, the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy as the W-H-L’s Most Sportsmanlike Player and the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the league’s Rookie-of-the-Year for the 2022-23 season.

Moose Jaw forward and Saskatoon product Brayden Yager along with Portland forward and P-A native Gabe Klassen are joined as finalists by Kamloops forward Caedan Bankier and Medicine Hat forward Andrew Basha for the Brad Hornung honour. Yager had 28 goals amongst a career-high 78 points and only 14 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Warriors as he heads towards being a likely first round pick in June’s N-H-L Draft. Klassen, meanwhile, posted a Winterhawks-leading 69 points, including 35 goals, and just minutes in penalties in 64 games. The award winner will be announced on May 4.

Elsewhere, Saskatoon product and Spokane forward Berkley Catton along with Prince Albert Raiders’ forward Ryder Ritchie are joined as finalists by Vancouver forward Samuel Honzek and Medicine Hat forward Cayden Lindstrom for the rookie award. Catton was tied for the highest-scoring 2006-born freshman with 55 points, including 23 goals, for the Chiefs. Ritchie also posted 55 points as a 2006-born rookie, including 20 goals. Following are the official news release from the W-H-L…..

WHL ANNOUNCES DIVISION NOMINEES FOR BRAD HORNUNG MEMORIAL TROPHY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the 2022-23 Division nominees for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player.

All individual WHL Division Award winners will be eligible for the overall WHL Awards, which will be announced from Tuesday, May 2 through Wednesday, May 10. The winner of the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy awarded to the WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player will be announced Thursday, May 4.

WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player Nominees
B.C. Division – Caedan Bankier (Surrey, B.C.) – Kamloops Blazers
Central Division – Andrew Basha (Calgary, Alta.) – Medicine Hat Tigers
East Division – Brayden Yager (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Moose Jaw Warriors
U.S. Division – Gabe Klassen (Prince Albert, Sask.) – Portland Winterhawks

WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player Biographies

Caedan Bankier (Kamloops Blazers): Kamloops Blazers forward Caedan Bankier is the WHL B.C. Division Most Sportsmanlike Player. The 20-year-old set career bests for the Blazers this season, scoring 31 goals and totalling 85 points to finish second in Club scoring, all while accumulating only 23 minutes in penalties. The product of Surrey, B.C. also helped Canada win gold at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in January before signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild in March. Originally selected by Kamloops in the fourth round of the 2018 WHL Draft, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward has totalled 188 points (76G-112A) from his 202 career WHL regular season appearances.

Andrew Basha (Medicine Hat Tigers): Medicine Hat Tigers forward Andrew Basha is the WHL Central Division Most Sportsmanlike Player. The product of Calgary, Alta. finished third in team scoring during the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season with 56 points (20G-36A), helping Medicine Hat qualify for the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien where he added three goals in four post-season outings. The 17-year-old totalled a mere 18 minutes in penalties over his 67 regular season contests, while also improving his plus-minus rating from -31 in 2021-22 to +27 in 2022-23. The 5-foot-11, 173-pound forward was originally selected by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2019 WHL Draft and owns career regular season totals of 25 goals and 70 points from his 110 career outings.

Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors): 2023 NHL Draft prospect Brayden Yager is the WHL East Division Most Sportsmanlike Player. The reigning WHL and Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year recorded a career-high 78 points for the Moose Jaw Warriors during the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season on the strength of 28 goals and 50 assists, while amassing only 14 minutes in penalties from his 67 games played. The product of Saskatoon, Sask. totalled four short-handed goals and seven game-winning goals over the course of the regular season. The 18-year-old is listed fifth among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. Originally selected third-overall by Moose Jaw in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, the 6-foot-0, 166-pound forward has accrued career totals of 69 goals and 155 points from his 154 regular season contests.

Gabe Klassen (Portland Winterhawks): Portland Winterhawks captain Gabe Klassen is the WHL U.S. Division Most Sportsmanlike Player. The product of Prince Albert, Sask. led the Winterhawks in regular season scoring with 69 points (35G-34A), collecting only 30 minutes in penalties in his 64 appearances. The 19-year-old set career bests in Portland in most major offensive categories including goals (35), power-play goals (15), short-handed goals (three) and game-winning markers (five). Originally selected by the Winterhawks with the 19th-overall pick in the 2018 WHL Draft, the 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward has totalled 159 points (83G-76A) in 181 career WHL regular season contests.

WHL ANNOUNCES DIVISION NOMINEES FOR JIM PIGGOTT MEMORIAL TROPHY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the 2022-23 Division nominees for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the WHL Rookie of the Year.

All individual WHL Division Award winners will be eligible for the overall WHL Awards, which will be announced from Tuesday, May 2 through Wednesday, May 10. The winner of the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy awarded to the WHL Rookie of the Year will be announced Tuesday, May 9.

WHL Rookie of the Year Nominees
B.C. Division – Samuel Honzek (Trencin, Slovakia) – Vancouver Giants
Central Division – Cayden Lindstrom (Chetwynd, B.C.) – Medicine Hat Tigers
East Division – Ryder Ritchie (Calgary, Alta.) – Prince Albert Raiders
U.S. Division – Berkly Catton (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Spokane Chiefs

WHL Rookie of the Year Biographies

Samuel Honzek (Vancouver Giants): 2023 NHL Draft prospect Samuel Honzek is the WHL B.C. Division Rookie of the Year. In his first season in North America, the product of Trencin, Slovakia recorded 23 goals and 56 points from his 43 appearances with the Vancouver Giants, finishing second in Club scoring and third in WHL rookie scoring. The 18-year-old, who competed for his country at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, is ranked ninth among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 186-pound forward was originally selected 10th-overall by the Giants in the 2022 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers): Hailing from Chetwynd, B.C., Medicine Hat Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom is the WHL Central Division Rookie of the Year. The 17-year-old totalled 42 points (19G-23A)in his first full WHL campaign, the second-highest total among Central Division rookies, while also appearing in 61 regular season contests for the Tigers as well as all four of their fixtures during the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien. The 6-foot-4, 204-pound forward was originally selected by Medicine Hat in the third round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.

Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders): Prince Albert Raiders forward Ryder Ritchie is the WHL East Division Rookie of the Year after finishing the regular season tied for the lead among WHL 2006-born skaters with 55 points (20G-35A). Ritchie, who hails from Calgary, Alta. finished third among Raiders skaters in points, while his 35 assists and 17 power-play helpers were both the second-highest totals among Prince Albert’s offensive leaders. The 5-foot-10, 157-pound forward was the Raiders’ 14th-overall selection in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.

Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs): Spokane Chiefs forward Berkly Catton is the WHL U.S. Division Rookie of the Year after finishing atop the League rankings of 2006-born players with 55 points (23G-32A). From Saskatoon, Sask., Catton finished second among Chiefs offensive leaders in goals and points, while also leading the Club with 10 power-play goals over the course of his 63 regular-season outings. Catton, who checks in at 5-foot-11 and 164 pounds, also attempted more than 800 face-offs during the regular season and totalled 203 shots on goal. The 17-year-old was selected first-overall by Spokane in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.