More accolades for Cal Foote
Kelowna captain nominated for league’s Top Defenceman and named to All-Star team
It’s been a banner year for Cal Foote and the WHL playoffs haven’t even started yet.
The Kelowna Rockets’ captain has been nominated for the league’s Top Defenceman award while also earning first All-Star team honours for the Western Conference.
Teammate Dillon Dube, a top-line forward, cracked the second All-Star team as the WHL announced its award finalists on Wednesday prior to the playoffs beginning tonight with Kelowna hosting the Tri-City Americans in their series opener, 7:05 p.m. at Prospera Place.
Foote led the Rockets to the franchise’s seventh B.C. Division title in the regular season and is now eligible to win the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, awarded to the WHL’s Top Defenceman. Foote was named the Western Conference’s nominee, while Kale Clague of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the Eastern Conference finalist.
They were teammates with Canada at the World Junior Championship, with Dube captaining that group to a gold-medal win.
Foote, from Engelwood, Colo., but now calling Kelowna home, topped all Rockets’ defencemen in goals (19), assists (51) and points (70) in playing 60 games this season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect more than doubled his goal total from the previous two seasons combined, while tying a career high in assists and setting a new career high in points.
The 6-foot-4 blueliner’s 70 points ranked sixth in league scoring for defencemen, and Foote’s 19 goals were fourth best.
Not only was Foote counted on as one of Kelowna’s key offensive producers, but he kept the puck out of his own net as well, finishing with an impressive plus-31 rating. Foote logged massive minutes all season, excelling in every situation for the Rockets.
In addition to being a standout for Kelowna, Foote won a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors in Buffalo, N.Y., in January, and was also part of Team WHL in the CIBC Canada-Russia Series in November.
The only player in Rockets history to win the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy was Tyson Barrie during the 2009-10 season. Barrie registered 19 goals and 53 assists for 72 points in 63 games that season.
Rockets head coach Jason Smith also won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy playing for the Regina Pats back in 1992-93. Smith produced 14 goals and 52 assists for 66 points in 64 games.
The WHL Awards luncheon is slated for Wednesday, May 2 in Red Deer. The WHL Conference Awards were voted on by the general managers and head coaches of the league’s 22 teams.
Full list of award nominees and winners:
WHL Player of the Year (Four Broncos Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Jayden Halbgewachs (Emerald Park, Sask.), Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference: Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, Alta.), Everett Silvertips
WHL Top Goaltender (Del Wilson Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Logan Flodell (Saskatoon, Sask.), Lethbridge Hurricanes
Western Conference: Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, Alta.), Everett Silvertips
WHL Top Defenceman (Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Kale Clague (Lloydminster, Alta.), Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference: Cal Foote (Engelwood, Colo.), Kelowna Rockets
WHL Rookie of the Year (Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Dylan Cozens (Whitehorse, Yukon), Lethbridge Hurricanes
Western Conference: Bowen Byram (Cranbrook, B.C.), Vancouver Giants
WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player (Brad Hornung Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Aleksi Heponiemi (Tampere, Finland), Swift Current Broncos
Western Conference: Cody Glass (Winnipeg, Man.), Portland Winterhawks
WHL Executive of the Year (Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference: Garry Davidson, Everett Silvertips
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WHL Top Scorer (Bob Clarke Trophy)
Millar,
WHL Coach of the Year (Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy)
Eastern Conference: Manny Viveiros, Swift Current Broncos
Western Conference: Dennis Williams, Everett Silvertips
The following individual and team awards were won during the 2017-18 regular season:
WHL Regular Season Champions (Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy)
Moose Jaw Warriors: 72 GP – 52 W – 15 L – 2 OTL – 3 SOL – 109 PTS
Jayden Halbgewachs (Emerald Park, Sask.) – Moose Jaw Warriors: 72 GP – 70 G – 59 A – 129 PTS – +43 – 12 PIM
WHL Plus-Minus Award
Glenn Gawdin (Richmond, B.C.), Swift Current Broncos: 67 GP – 56 G – 69 A – 125 PTS – +61 – 101 PIM
Meanwhile, the WHL Conference Awards for Scholastic Player of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, Top Official and the Business Award will be announced at a later date.
Dube joins Foote on All-Star team
Named to the second All-Star team, Dube finished second on the Rockets in scoring with 38 goals and 46 assists for 84 points in 53 games.
Used in every situation, Dube tied for the team lead in game-winning goals with seven.
In the final game of the regular season, Dube scored his 100th and 101st career WHL goals en route to an 8-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place this past Saturday.
Dube also became the first-ever player from the Rockets to captain Team Canada at the World Juniors. He had three goals and two assists in seven games at the 2018 tourney.
The Conference All-Stars were voted on by the WHL’s 22 general managers.
Western Conference FIRST TEAM
Goaltender – Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, Alta.) – Everett Silvertips
Defenceman – Cal Foote (Engelwood, Colo.) – Kelowna Rockets
Defenceman – Ty Smith (Lloydminster, Alta.) – Spokane Chiefs
Forward – Matthew Phillips (Calgary, Alta.) – Victoria Royals
Forward – Cody Glass (Winnipeg, Man.) – Portland Winterhawks
Forward – Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Calgary, Alta.) – Spokane Chiefs
SECOND TEAM
Goaltender – David Tendeck (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Vancouver Giants
Defenceman – Henri Jokiharju (Tampere, Finland) – Portland Winterhawks
Defenceman – Juuso Valimaki (Nokia, Finland) – Tri-City Americans
Forward – Ty Ronning (Burnaby, B.C.) – Vancouver Giants
Forward – Dillon Dube (Cochrane, Alta.) – Kelowna Rockets
Forward – Patrick Bajkov (Nanaimo, B.C.) – Everett Silvertips