The Western Hockey League announced today that 83 WHL Alumni will compete for U SPORTS supremacy at the 2019 Cavendish Farms University Cup in Lethbridge, Alta., scheduled for March 14 to 17.
The WHL is represented with graduate players on all eight rosters of competing teams at the annual tournament, including 26 with the Canada West (CW) champion University of Alberta Golden Bears, 23 with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and 17 with the host University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
All tournament games, including the bronze medal game, will be streamed on USPORTS.LIVE. Semifinal action on Saturday, March 16 will be broadcast on Sportsnet 360 (1 p.m MT & 6 p.m. MT). The tournament closes on Sunday, March 17 with the gold medal final broadcast live on Sportsnet 360 at 6 p.m. MT.
The University Cup serves as the U SPORTS national championship for men’s university hockey in Canada. It was first presented in 1885. Having won the national title in 2018, the Alberta Golden Bears have earned Canadian University supremacy 16 times.
This year, a record 405 WHL graduates are accessing their WHL Scholarship, including 199 competing at the U SPORTS level. Established on a league-wide basis in 1993-94, over 6,000 WHL Scholarships have been accessed by WHL graduates, representing an investment of over $25 million by WHL Clubs. This season, WHL Clubs will contribute in excess of $2.6 million to the 405 WHL graduates utilizing the WHL Scholarship.
Administered by the WHL Office, WHL Scholarships are solely funded by the WHL member Clubs. Every player who plays in the WHL is eligible to receive the WHL Scholarship. For every season a player plays in the WHL, they receive a guaranteed, full-year WHL Scholarship including tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees to a post-secondary institution of their choice. The WHL Scholarship is a fully-guaranteed academic scholarship with no requirement to play university hockey to qualify. The WHL graduate can apply the funding to any post-secondary or career-enhancing program of his choice, including trades schools or professional career training programs.
CLICK HERE for a detailed list of all WHL Scholarship recipients for the 2018-19 academic season.
ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (Canada West)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Brendan Burke | Goaltender | Scottsdale, Ari. | Calgary Hitmen |
| Kenny Cameron | Goaltender | Calgary, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers |
| Zach Sawchenko | Goaltender | Calgary, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
| Ben Carroll | Defence | Sherwood Park, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Nick Charif | Defence | Edmonton, Alta. | Spokane Chiefs |
| Graeme Craig | Defence | Red Deer, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders |
| Jason Fram | Defence | Delta, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs |
| Clayton Kirichenko | Defence | Sherwood Park, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers |
| Sawyer Lange | Defence | Prince Albert, Sask. | Prince Albert Raiders |
| Ryan Rehill | Defence | Edmonton, Alta. | Kamloops Blazers |
| Wil Tomchuk | Defence | Fort McMurray, Alta. | Prince George Cougars |
| Tyson Baillie | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Kelowna Rockets |
| Taylor Cooper | Forward | Sherwood Park, Alta. | Regina Pats |
| Trevor Cox | Forward | Surrey, B.C. | Vancouver Giants |
| Jayden Hart | Forward | Spruce Grove, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders |
| Riley Kieser | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Stephane Legault | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Cole Linaker | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Kelowna Rockets |
| Brandon Magee | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Victoria Royals |
| Curtis Miske | Forward | Beaumont, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders |
| Lucas Nickles | Forward | Salmon Arm, B.C. | Tri-City Americans |
| Steven Owre | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers |
| Grayson Pawlenchuk | Forward | Edmonton, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels |
| Luke Philp | Forward | Canmore, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels |
| Cole Sanford | Forward | Coldstream, B.C. | Regina Pats |
| Tyler Soy | Forward | Cloverdale, B.C. | Victoria Royals |
LETHBRIDGE PRONGHORNS (Canada West)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Taz Burman | Goaltender | Vancouver, B.C. | Swift Current Broncos |
| Jonny Hogue | Goaltender | Lethbridge, Alta. | Lethbridge Hurricanes |
| Garret Hughson | Goaltender | Medicine Hat, Alta. | Spokane Chiefs |
| Clint Filbrandt | Defence | Calgary, Alta. | Kootenay ICE |
| Spenser Jensen | Defence | Airdrie, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
| Blake Orban | Defence | Calgary, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Jeff Rayman | Defence | Fernie, B.C. | Vancouver Giants |
| Dallas Valentine | Defence | Red Deer, Alta. | Kamloops Blazers |
| Evan Wardley | Defence | Calgary, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Ryan Chynoweth | Forward | Lethbridge, Alta. | Kootenay ICE |
| Brooks Maxwell | Forward | Calgary, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels |
| Russell Maxwell | Forward | Magrath, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Sam McKechnie | Forward | Airdrie, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades |
| Jordan Roy | Forward | Kimberley, B.C. | Red Deer Rebels |
| Connor Sanvido | Forward | Maple Ridge, B.C. | Saskatoon Blades |
| Dalton Sward | Forward | Abbotsford, B.C. | Vancouver Giants |
| Torrin White | Forward | Balzac, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (Canada West)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Travis Child | Goaltender | Killam, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Taran Kozun | Goaltender | Nipawin, Sask. | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Gordie Ballhorn | Defence | Wetaskiwin, Alta. | Kelowna Rockets |
| Shane Collins | Defence | Rosetown, Sask. | Prince George Cougars |
| Evan Fiala | Defence | Clavet, Sask. | Saskatoon Blades |
| Jesse Forsberg | Defence | Walheim, Sask. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
| Colby Harmsworth | Defence | Saskatoon, Sask. | Calgary Hitmen |
| Tanner Lishchynsky | Defence | Saskatoon, Sask. | Kootenay ICE |
| Sam Ruopp | Defence | Regina, Sask. | Prince George Cougars |
| Kohl Bauml | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. | Everett Silvertips |
| Levi Cable | Forward | Hudson Bay, Sask. | Kootenay ICE |
| Carter Folk | Forward | Regina, Sask. | Victoria Royals |
| Alex Forsberg | Forward | Waldheim, Sask. | Victoria Royals |
| Connor Gay | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. | Saskatoon Blades |
| Andrew Johnson | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. | Swift Current Broncos |
| Wyatt Johnson | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. | Spokane Chiefs |
| Logan McVeigh | Forward | Kenaston, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers |
| Donovan Neuls | Forward | Grenfell, Sask. | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Collin Shirley | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers |
| Michael Sofillas | Forward | Morden, Man. | Lethbridge Hurricanes |
| Carson Stadnyk | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. | Everett Silvertips |
| Jordan Tkatch | Forward | Prudhomme, Sask. | Prince Albert Raiders |
| Jaimen Yakubowski | Forward | Dalmeny, Sask. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
CARLETON RAVENS (Ontario)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Darian Skeoch | Defence | New Liskeard, Ont. | Vancouver Giants |
| Matthew Sozanski | Defence | Calgary, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
| Aaron Boyd | Forward | Winnipeg, Man. | Prince George Cougars |
| Rykr Cole | Forward | Moosomin, Sask. | Spokane Chiefs |
| Brogan O’Brien | Forward | Prince George, B.C. | Prince George Cougars |
| Dakota Odgers | Forward | Spy Hill, Sask. | Moose Jaw Warriors |
GUELPH GRYPHONS (Ontario)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Seth Swenson | Forward | Parker, Colo. | Lethbridge Hurricanes |
NEW BRUNSWICK VARSITY REDS (Atlantic)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Luke Lee-Knight | Goaltender | Calgary, Alta. | Tri-City Americans |
| Rylan Parenteau | Goaltender | Saskatoon, Sask. | Tri-City Americans |
| Joe Gatenby | Defence | Kelowna, B.C. | Kamloops Blazers |
| Mark Rassell | Forward | Calgary, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers |
QUEEN’S GAELS (Ontario)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Luke Bertolucci | Forward | Montrose, B.C. | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Jared Bethune | Forward | Fort Frances, Ont. | Prince George Cougars |
| Duncan Campbell | Forward | Brandon, Man. | Brandon Wheat Kings |
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER X-MEN (Atlantic)
(Name / Position / Hometown / Last WHL Club)
| Cole MacDonald | Defence | Wetaskiwin, Alta. | Everett Silvertips |
| Mitchell Wheaton | Defence | Sherwood Park, Alta. | Brandon Wheat Kings |
| Matthew Needham | Forward | Kamloops, B.C. | Kamloops Blazers |
