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kit · 04-21-2023, 06:28 PM

Today i will be taking a look at the rookies of the Vancouver Whalers. A few of them have a very strong case for rookie of the year. Don't be surprised to see at LEAST one in the nominations for the award, with a possibility of one winning it as well. Without further ado let's DIVE into it.

RW - Inactive Forever

Forever came out of the gates strong, scoring multiple hat tricks this season he got the rookie scoring lead early, and held it for a lot of the season. With 64 points inactive lead amongst all rookies in that category. Points aren't everything but that fact alone is bound to get him a few votes. He was also tied for first in goals as well as 4th in hits, despite his small frame he was good on the forecheck. Expect to see his name a lot in conversations in the coming days.

RW - Thomas Liebold

Another strong point scorer Liebold had 63 which was good for second amongst active rookies. He also scored a solid 18 goals while raching up a team leading 45 assists. Liebold was the biggest hitter in the class with 230. The whalers relied a lot on their rookies which should be taken into account, however they stood up to the task and Liebold was no different.

LW - Johnny FourStar

Is his name an omen? This writer sure hopes so. Fourstar had an impressive season for a rookie, scoring 55 points in 66 games with 18 goals. He was tied with 2 teammates for 4th in rookie assisting. He also had an impressive +/- relative to the team with a +10. He also had an impressive 2 shorthanded goals throughout the season. Not only was he good defensively on the penalty kill, he was also able to flip the script 2 times and turn that penalty into an advantage.

D - Bellamy Blake

Blake is the final inclusion of Whalers on this list. A defender he was relied on heavily, almost leading his team in time on ice. He led the league amongst rookies with 87 shots blocked, showing off his strong defensive prowess. While is defense was great you could argue his offense was even better. 52 points in 66 games for the young defender is an impressive number. He also had a team high +/- with +11. While this stat does have it's flaws, when you look at it relative to the rest of the team it's quite impressive

D - BOB WEHADABABYITSABOY

Finally the first overall pick in the SMJHL draft Bob webabyboyhadaits, while the offense may not be as impressive as his teammates listed here, Bob still did solidly, with a 29 points in 66 games. But Bob's real value came in the defensive aspects of his game. He lead the team in time on ice and as a rookie that's exceedingly impressive. With a low penalty minutes relative to his time on ice he was able to play a lot of the penalty kill which is where he thrived. 85 takeaways lead the whole league.

Those are your big Vancouver rookies, could we see one of them with the Anrikkanen trophy this summer? The future bodes well in Vancouver!

RainDelay · 04-22-2023, 09:10 AM

Our future is so bright! #SendUsDown

*CptSquall* · 04-23-2023, 12:42 PM

Approved, +5 TPE to @kit

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