WHL Goalie of the Week
Portland Winterhawks goaltender Cole Kehler was named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending March 11.
Kehler, a signed Los Angeles Kings prospect, went 3-0-0-0 with a 1.23 goals-against-average, .947 save-percentage and one shutout.
He backstopped the Winterhawks to two mid-week victories against the Prince George Cougars. Stopping 20 of 23 shots Tuesday and 18 of 19 shots Wednesday, Kehler and the Winterhawks won by 4-3 and 7-1 scores, respectively.
In a battle between the two top teams in the Western Conference Sunday, Kehler gave the Winterhawks the edge, stopping all 28 shots; his second straight shutout against the Silvertips and fourth of the season overall.
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound product of Altona, Man., has been a guiding force between the pipes for the Winterhawks for a second straight season, going 29-15-1-4 while maintaining a 2.72 GAA, .910 SV%.
This year, Kehler is ranked second in the league for GAA, fifth in SV%, tied for fourth in victories and tied for third in shutouts.
Originally drafted by the Kamloops Blazers in the sixth round, 123rd overall, of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, Kehler has appeared in 139 career WHL regular season games, sporting a 65-50-3-7 record, 3.30 GAA, .899 SV% and six shutouts.
WHL Player of the Week
Moose Jaw Warriors forward Jayden Halbgewachs was named WHL On the Run Player of the Week for the week ending March 11. Halbgewachs, a signed San Jose Sharks prospect, recorded 12 points (7G-5A) in four games this week.
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound product of Emerald Park, Sask., began his week with a hat trick as part of a five-point performance in a 6-2 win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Two days later as the Warriors took a 6-4 loss at the hands of the Prince Albert Raiders, Halbgewachs had a pair of goals and three points, earning him third star honours for the game.
During Saturday’s highly-touted battle between the Warriors and Swift Current Broncos, Halbgewachs had a goal in Moose Jaw’s 4-2 victory. Closing out his week against the Brandon Wheat Kings, Halbgewachs had a goal and three points, earning third star of the night honours in the WHL.
Where are they now?
Rory Rawlyk was a Red Deer Rebel for just one season but was a solid playoff contributor. The six-foot-five, 220-pound forward joined the Rebels for the final 20 games of the 2002-2003 season with nine points. Through 23 playoff games, he chipped in two goals and nine assists.
After the WHL season finished, Rawlyk signed with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL. He produced 0.5 points per game with Charlotte and earned a call-up to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. In five games there through 2004, he had one goal.
Rawlyk spent the next two seasons cycling between the AHL and ECHL, before jumping to Europe in 2006. He suited up for 14 games with Bofors IK of the Swedish second league and had four points and 44 penalty minutes. The Edmonton, native bounced back and fourth before spending five seasons in Europe between 2008 and 2015.
He played for the Lausitzer Foxes in Germany, as well as two seasons in the EIHL for the Dundee Stars and Coventry Blaze. After a season with the Orlando Solar Bears, he split time with the Atlanta Gladiators and Florida Everblades. This year he’s played six games with the Memmingen Indians ECDC. He has two goals and four assists in six games.
Hagel’s hot streak
Red Deer Rebels forward Brandon Hagel is on a huge roll, scoring 10 points in his past six games. The Morinville native, alongside Mason McCarty and Kristian Reichel, has been instrumental in helping the Rebels clinch a WHL playoff spot.
The 19-year-old, Buffalo Sabres draft pick also has a goal in his past four games and had a hat trick when the Rebels earned their playoff berth with a 5-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Hagel has 58 points in 55 games.
With files from the WHL.