Hamblin named first-team all-star
James Hamblin can expect plenty more accolades in the coming two weeks, but he got a pair on Tuesday.
The outgoing Medicine Hat Tigers captain was named to the WHL’s Eastern Conference first all-star team, shortly after the Tigers made it official he was their leading goal scorer this shortened season.
Hamblin had 36 goals in 63 games, finishing his major-junior career with 115 of them in 324 games as a rare five-year player with the same franchise.
He was third this season in WHL scoring, adding 56 assists to finish with 92 points.
With no ability to hold a formal awards banquet and players already sent home due to the global pandemic, the Tigers announced Monday they’d be releasing their yearly awards one day at a time, concluding with the most valuable player award April 19. Hamblin will no doubt be a frontrunner for that and other trophies, though it’s unclear when he’ll be back in the city to hold them aloft.
He’ll add a leading scorer award from the team today, with other possible wins coming next week.
Along with Hamblin, the WHL put the following players on its top Eastern all-star roster:
— Jiri Patera (G, Brandon)
— Calen Addison (D, Lethbridge)
— Braden Schneider (D, Brandon)
— Dylan Cozens (F, Lethbridge)
— Alexis Protas (F, Prince Albert) As for the Western Conference, the following players were named firstteam all-stars:
— Dustin Wolf (G, Everett)
— Johnny Ludvig (D, Portland)
— Ty Smith (D, Spokane)
— Adam Beckman (F, Spokane)
— Seth Jarvis (F, Portland)
— Connor Zary (F, Kamloops)
The league’s bantam draft will take place April 22.