WHL Playoffs Preview: Landon DuPont, Silvertips eye title

Landon DuPont has greater than lived as much as his standing as an distinctive participant.

Now, the Everett Silvertips defenceman will attempt to take an excellent rookie season to the subsequent degree.

The primary defenceman to be granted distinctive standing within the WHL, permitting him to play a 12 months sooner than different rookies, DuPont, 15, completed as the highest rookie scorer within the league with 60 factors in 56 video games after going first total within the draft to the Washington state crew.

The son of former Calgary Flame Micki DuPont is a key a part of a Silvertips crew that completed with the highest file within the WHL.

The Silvertips, who entered the league in 2003, wish to win their first WHL crown.

DuPont grew to become the primary defenceman aged 16 or youthful to crack 50 factors in a WHL season for the reason that nice Scott Niedermayer in 1989-90 with the Kamloops Blazers.

Here is a take a look at first-round matchups and storylines to observe within the WHL playoffs.

Jap Convention
No. 1 Drugs Hat Tigers vs. No. 8 Swift Present Broncos
No. 2 Prince Albert Raiders vs. No. 7 Edmonton Oil Kings
No. 3 Calgary Hitmen vs. No. 6 Saskatoon Blades
No. 4 Lethbridge Hurricanes vs. No. 5 Brandon Wheat Kings

Western Convention
No. 1 Everett Silvertips vs. No. 8 Seattle Thunderbirds
No. 2 Victoria Royals vs. No. 7 Tri-Metropolis Individuals
No. 3 Spokane Chiefs vs. No. 6 Vancouver Giants
No. 4 Prince George Cougars vs. No. 5 Portland Winterhawks

The Silvertips have been the category of the league all season, however they will not have one vital participant within the playoffs.

First-round NHL Draft prospect Carter Bear is out with an Achilles harm suffered earlier this month within the midst of a 40-goal season.

In the meantime, DuPont is not the one rookie making a big effect for Everett.

First-year goalie Raiden LeGall led the league in goals-against common and save share. The Bemidji State commit joined the Silvertips in November after the NCAA permitted a rule change permitting WHL gamers to play U.S. school hockey beginning subsequent season.

The Silvertips match up within the first spherical in opposition to a Thunderbirds crew that includes one of many high defencemen eligible for this 12 months’s NHL Draft — Czechia’s Radim Mrtka.

Gavin McKenna is likely to be the most effective participant in junior hockey, and he is not even eligible for the NHL Draft till subsequent season.

The Drugs Hat Tigers star enters the playoffs on a 40-game scoring streak. He was second within the league in scoring with 129 factors in 56 video games, serving to the Tigers clinch the highest seed within the Jap Convention with a win over the Calgary Hitmen on the ultimate night time of the season.

Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt is also a 100-point man, marking the primary time Drugs Hat has had two gamers attain three digits in scoring since 1990-91.

Calgary goalie Daniel Hauser set a file for WHL profession wins within the closing week of the season, however didn’t play within the finale in opposition to Purple Deer and was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body harm.

Traded to Calgary by the Wenatchee Wild in January, Hauser had a four-game shutout streak early in his time with the Hitmen.

The overager, assuming he is not out too lengthy, now has an opportunity to exit on a excessive enjoying near residence — he grew up in close by Chestermere, Alta.

“Particularly having my entire profession away from residence, a great distance from residence, it has been wonderful to be again residence, for myself and for my household and my pals,” Hauser advised the Calgary Herald earlier this season. “My dad and mom are loving coming to the video games.

“So it’s been superior for myself and for lots of different folks, for certain.”

The Spokane Chiefs made an enormous acquisition once they acquired Andrew Cristall from the out-of-contention Kelowna Rockets previous to the commerce deadline.

Cristall grew to become the primary Spokane participant to complete because the league’s scoring champion, ending with 132 factors. The Washington Capitals prospect has proven steady enchancment after notching 92 factors in 2022-23 and 111 in 2023-24.

Cristall is a part of an amazing journey with Seattle Kraken first-round decide Berkly Catton (third within the league in scoring) and Shea Van Olm, the league’s main objective scorer.

Brandon Wheat Kings towering centre Roger McQueen is the highest WHL prospect (seventh total) in Sam Cosentino’s March NHL Draft rankings.

The six-foot-five McQueen missed many of the season with a lower-body harm, so a pleasant playoff efficiency may give him a draft enhance. He has been good since returning, notching 9 factors in 9 video games.

Joshua Ravensbergen of the Prince George Cougars is Cosentino’s top-ranked goalie.

The Cougars misplaced out to the Victoria Royals in a good race for the B.C. Division title, dropping Prince George to the No. 4 seed within the Western Convention. That units up a Western Convention closing rematch in opposition to the Portland Winterhawks within the first spherical.

The Winterhawks gained that collection and are 4-0 in opposition to Prince George this season.