THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON — Considered one of the most dangerous junior players around the opponent’s net, Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats was named the Western Hockey League’s player of the year Wednesday.
The Edmonton Oilers draft prospect scored clutch goals in back-to-back world junior championships for Canada, but he was also a big producer for his Pats with 50 goals and 56 assists in 57 regular-season games for his hometown team.
Eberle was the recipient of the Four Broncos Trophy, which is awarded in memory of four Swift Current Broncos — Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff — who died in a team bus crash in 1986. The WHL awards luncheon was held Wednesday in Edmonton.
The five-foot-11, 184-pound forward finished second in WHL scoring, one point behind Brandon Kozun of the Calgary Hitmen. Kozun, with 32 goals and 75 assists, took home the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s top scorer.
Eberle’s 1.86 points per game was the highest average in the WHL since Calgary Hitmen forward Pavel Brendl’s 1.97 during the 1998-99 season.
Eberle finished tied for second in power-play goals (19) and short-handed goals (six). He was the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft by the Oilers, who have since signed him to an entry-level contract.
Eberle was assigned to the AHL’s Springfield Falcons at the conclusion of the Pats’ regular season and the Regina native had six goals and eight assists in 11 games.
Known for his cunning and tenacity with Canada’s national junior team, Eberle is Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer at the world junior championship with 14 goals.
With his team down 5-3 to the U.S. and 3:11 remaining in the third period of this year’s final in Saskatoon, Eberle scored twice in the span of a minute 14 seconds to send the game into overtime.
Canada lost 6-5 to the U.S. in extra time, but Eberle was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
At the 2009 world junior championship in Ottawa, his tying goal with 5.4 seconds remaining in the semifinal against Russia sent the game into overtime.
Eberle later scored the winner in the shootout. Canada went on to beat Sweden in the final for the country’s fifth straight gold medal. He was a late pick — 126th overall — in the seventh round of the 2005 WHL bantam draft.
Eberle was chosen for the Four Broncos Trophy ahead of Vancouver Giants centre Craig Cunningham, who was the Western Conference finalist.
Eberle is the WHL’s nominee for the Canadian Hockey League’s player of the year. He will be up against Saint John Sea Dog Mike Hoffman out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Plymouth Whalers forward Tyler Seguin from the Ontario Hockey League.
The winner will be announced at the 2010 Memorial Cup tournament May 14-23 in Brandon, Man. In other WHL awards handed out Wednesday, Red Deer Rebels centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was named the WHL’s rookie of the year. The WHL’s first overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft had 24 goals and 41 assists in 67 games for the Rebels.
Martin Jones of the Calgary Hitmen was chosen the league’s top goaltender. The Los Angeles Kings property posted a 36-11-0-1 record as well as a goals-against average of 2.21 and a save percentage of .919.
Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets picked up the honour for top defenceman. The third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche had 19 goals and 53 assists in 63 games. The coaching award went to Matt Holick of the Kootenay Ice after a 43-24-3-2 campaign. Kelly McCrimmon of the Cup-hosting Brandon Wheat Kings was selected top executive.
Swift Current Broncos winger Adam Lowry earned the league’s scholastic trophy, Centre Jason Bast of the Moose Jaw Warriors was voted the most sportsmanlike player, and winger Matt Fraser of the Ice was chosen for the humanitarian award.
Zoran Rajcic of the Everett Silvertips was singled out for the marketing award and Chris Savage was voted the WHL’s top official. The Tri-City Americans, who will meet Calgary in the WHL final starting Friday, earned the team scholastic award.
Alumni achievement awards went to former Swift Current Bronco Joe Sakic, who retired last year from the NHL after a 20-year career. Kelowna Rockets alumnus Gavin MacLeod was recognized for his academic achievement at the University of Alberta.
