A pair of Swift Current Broncos were recognized by the Western Hockey League with Eastern Conference awards on Wednesday when the league announced its award winners and conference all-star teams.
Forward Tyler Steenbergen was named a Eastern Conference 2nd Team All-Star after tying for the league lead with 51 goals to go along with 39 assists in 72 games. The 18-year-old was also named the Eastern Conference Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year after being whistled for only 22 penalty minutes this season.
Import forward Aleksi Heponiemi was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Year after leading all WHL rookies with 86 points in 72 games with the Broncos.
Shaunavon’s Kole Lind was named a Western Conference 2nd Team All-Star after totaling 30 goals and 57 assists in 70 games with the Kelowna Rockets this season.
2016-17 WHL Conference Award Winners
WHL Player of the Year (Four Broncos Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference Player of the Year – Sam Steel (Sherwood Park, AB), Regina Pats
Western Conference Player of the Year – Mathew Barzal (Coquitlam, BC), Seattle Thunderbirds
WHL Top Goaltender (Del Wilson Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference Top Goaltender – Zach Sawchenko (Calgary, AB), Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference Top Goaltender – Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, AB), Everett Silvertips
WHL Top Defenceman (Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference Top Defenceman – Connor Hobbs (Saskatoon, SK), Regina Pats
Western Conference Top Defenceman – Ethan Bear (Ochapowace, SK), Seattle Thunderbirds
WHL Rookie of the Year (Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference Rookie of the Year – Aleksi Heponiemi (Tampere, Finland), Swift Current Broncos
Western Conference Rookie of the Year – Rudolfs Balcers (Liepaja, Latvia), Kamloops Blazers
WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year (Brad Hornung Trophy)
Eastern Conference Most Sportsmanlike Player – Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake, AB), Swift Current Broncos
Western Conference Most Sportsmanlike Player – Kevin Davis (Kamloops, BC), Everett Silvertips
WHL Executive of the Year (Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference Executive of the Year – John Paddock, Regina Pats
Western Conference Executive of the Year – Bruce Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets
WHL Coach of the Year (Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference Coach of the Year – John Paddock, Regina Pats
Western Conference Coach of the Year – Mike Johnston, Portland Winterhawks
The following individual and team awards were won during the 2016-17 WHL regular season:
WHL Regular Season Champions, Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy
Regina Pats: 72 GP – 52 W – 12 L – 7 OTL – 1 SL – 112 PTS
WHL Top Scorer (Bob Clarke Trophy)
Sam Steel (Sherwood Park, AB), Regina Pats
72 GP – 50 G – 81 A – 131 PTS – +49 – 40 PIM
WHL Plus-Minus Award
Sergey Zborovskiy (Moscow, Russia), Regina Pats
63 GP – 7 G – 33 A – 40 PTS – +72 – 64 PIM
Conference award winners for the WHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, Top Official and Business Award will be announced at a later date.
The 2016-17 WHL Eastern and Western Conference All-Star teams are as follows:
WHL Eastern Conference All-Star Teams
FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Zach Sawchenko (Calgary, AB), Moose Jaw Warriors
Defenceman – Connor Hobbs (Saskatoon, SK), Regina Pats
Defenceman – Kale Clague (Lloydminster, AB), Brandon Wheat Kings
Forward – Sam Steel (Sherwood Park, AB), Regina Pats*
Forward – Adam Brooks (Winnipeg, MB), Regina Pats
Forward – Tyler Wong (Cochrane, AB), Lethbridge Hurricanes
SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Logan Flodell (Regina, SK), Saskatoon Blades
Defenceman – Sergey Zborovskiy (Moscow, Russia), Regina Pats
Defenceman – Jake Bean (Calgary, AB), Calgary Hitmen
Forward – Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake, AB), Swift Current Broncos
Forward – Jayden Halbgewachs (Emerald Park, SK), Moose Jaw Warriors
Forward – Chad Butcher (Kamloops, BC), Medicine Hat Tigers
WHL Western Conference All-Star Teams
FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, AB), Everett Silvertips
Defenceman – Ethan Bear (Ochapowace, SK), Seattle Thunderbirds*
Defenceman – Noah Juulsen (Abbotsford, BC), Everett Silvertips
Forward – Mathew Barzal (Coquitlam, BC), Seattle Thunderbirds
Forward – Cody Glass (Winnipeg, MB), Portland Winterhawks
Forward – Matthew Phillips (Calgary, AB), Victoria Royals
SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM
Goaltender – Connor Ingram (Imperial, SK), Kamloops Blazers
Defenceman – Parker Wotherspoon (Surrey, BC), Tri-City Americans
Defenceman – Juuso Valimaki (Nokia, Finland), Tri-City Americans
Forward – Kailer Yamomoto (Spokane, WA), Spokane Chiefs
Forward – Morgan Geekie (Strathclair, MB), Tri-City Americans
Forward – Kole Lind (Shaunavon, SK), Kelowna Rockets
* indicates unanimous selection
