The Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the defenceman of the year in the Western Hockey League (WHL). It is named after one of the league's founders, Bill Hunter, who was the driving force behind the creation of the WHL. Hunter served as the owner, general manager and head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, and was the first Chairman of the Board of the new league. [1]
denotes also named CHL Defenceman of the Year |
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times since the league became eligible to compete for the trophy. Many players have been drafted from WHL teams, and have found success at various levels of professional hockey, including the National Hockey League (NHL).
Nolan Baumgartner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was formerly an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Baumgartner was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1st round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played parts of ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for six different teams. Baumgartner played only one full season in the NHL, 2005–06 with the Vancouver Canucks, and spent most of his playing career in the AHL.
The 1926–27 NHL season was the tenth season of the National Hockey League. The success of the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Pirates led the NHL to expand further within the United States. The league added three new teams: the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Cougars, and New York Rangers, to make a total of ten, split in two divisions. This resulted in teams based in Canada being in the minority for the first time. To stock the teams with players the new teams brought in players from the Western Hockey League, which folded in May 1926. This left the NHL in sole possession of hockey's top players, as well as sole control of hockey's top trophy, the Stanley Cup, which was won by the Ottawa Senators. This was the original Senators' eleventh and final Stanley Cup win. The Senators' first was in 1903.
The Red Deer Rebels are a Western Hockey League junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The Rebels play at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner as well as the inspiration for the team's name. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team to represent Calgary, preceded by the Centennials and Wranglers.
Jason Matthew Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 regular season games in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1993 to 2009. Smith played for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators, having been originally selected by New Jersey in the first round, 18th overall, at the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Smith served as team captain of both the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers, the former of which he led for five years and guided to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.
Daniel Hamhuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in 2001 by the Nashville Predators.
The Max Kaminsky Trophy is an annual award presented by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Originally (1961–1969) awarded to the most gentlemanly player in the league, since 1970 it is awarded to the OHL's most outstanding defenceman.
Braydon Coburn is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Coburn was originally selected in the first round, eighth overall, by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, beginning his NHL career with the organization before moving to the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. Coburn won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Lightning in 2020.
The CHL Defenceman of the Year Award is given out annually to the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League. It is chosen from the winners of the league trophies, the Max Kaminsky Trophy of the Ontario Hockey League, the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy of the Western Hockey League, and the Emile Bouchard Trophy of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Cody Franson is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). Franson was drafted in the third round, 79th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Franson has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and Chicago Blackhawks.
Jonathon Gregory Blum is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, currently playing with EHC Red Bull München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
The Edmonton Oil Kings are a major junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, that play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). As of July 2008, they are owned by Daryl Katz's Oilers Entertainment Group, which also owns the Edmonton Oilers. The 2007–08 season was the newest incarnation of the Oil Kings' inaugural season in the WHL. Some NHL alumni include Tomas Vincour, Mark Pysyk, Curtis Lazar, Keegan Lowe, Griffin Reinhart, Henrik Samuelsson, Laurent Brossoit, Tristan Jarry and David Musil. As the 2012 WHL champions, the Oil Kings played in the 2012 Memorial Cup, losing 6–1 against the eventual winning team, the Shawinigan Cataractes, in the playoff tie-breaker. The Oil Kings won the 2014 Memorial Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm in the final game.
The 1986 Memorial Cup occurred May 10–17 at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. It was the 68th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Hosting rights were originally awarded to the Queen's Park Arena and the New Westminster Bruins, but staging the tournament alongside Expo '86 in Vancouver proved logistically impossible and so the tournament was moved to Portland for the second time in three years. Participating teams were the host team Portland Winter Hawks, as well as the winners of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League which were the Kamloops Blazers, Guelph Platers and Hull Olympiques. The Platers won their first Memorial Cup, and the city's second Memorial Cup, defeating Hull in the final game.
Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted in the third round, 67th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and played four seasons with the team before moving on to the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars. He has also played for TPS and Oulun Kärpät in the Finnish Liiga.
Christian Chartier is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who last played for Augsburger Panther in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Paul Albers is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Houston Aeros.
Paul Edward Postma is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for EC KAC of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He was drafted 205th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. During his major junior career with the Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Postma won the WHL Plus-Minus Award and was a WHL East First Team All-Star in 2009.
Tyson Barrie is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers. He was drafted by the Avalanche in the third round, 64th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Samson Reinhart is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Reinhart was selected second overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.