The Red Deer Rebels have revealed their player award winners for the 2024-25 Western Hockey League season.
Jhett Larson received the Players' Award, which is a player-voted honour given to the Rebel who best exemplifies "heart, leadership and determination." This was 21-year-old's final WHL season — he recorded 23 points in 48 games. Next season, the forward from Delisle, Sask. will play for the NCAA Division I club University of Alaska Nanooks.
Jace Weir, who also completed his final WHL season this year, received the Humanitarian Award, which recognizes the player who donates time throughout the season to give back to the community they call home.
"That's something that I was not expected, but I'm super grateful I was awarded that," Weir said in a year-end interview last month.
"With the culture that we have here, it's very easy to be a good person and want to do good things, and give back. The fans and community do so much for us. It's easy for us to do that for them too."
This year's Rookie of the Year Award winner was Beckett Hamilton. The forward from Saskatoon, Sask., finished his debut WHL season with 14 goals and 11 assists in 67 games. Matthew Gard was the only Rebels player to score more goals than Hamilton this past season. His 14 goals were the fifth most by a 16-year-old player in club history.
The Three Stars Award went to goaltender Chase Wutzke. Over the course of the 2024-25 season, Wutzke has named a game star 13 times, including seven first-star selections. Wutzke recorded a 17-25-5 record, with a .895 save percentage and a 3.38 goals-against average. The 18-year-old Debden, Sask. native was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Derek Thurston was named the team's Defenceman of the Year. The 18-year-old Delta, B.C. native finished the season with nine goals and 13 assists in 67 games, with 96 penalty minutes and a plus-9 rating.
Jaxon Fuder was named the winner of the Dracy Robinson Most Underrated Player Award. Fuder scored 11 goals and 15 assists in 46 games — he finished fifth in team scoring this past season.
