Medicine Hat's McKenna named CHL Player of the Year
Published
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna was named the CHL David Branch Player of the Year after a tremendous 2024-25 season.
McKenna, 17, becomes the third-youngest player to win the award in Canadian Hockey League history, with both John Tavares and Sidney Crosby capturing the honours when they were 16-years-old.
He also becomes the first Tiger to win the award in franchise history.
The 6-foot winger finished second in Western Hockey League scoring with 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games while only being held off the scoresheet three times during the regular season.
He finished the regular season on a 40-game point streak, which went all the way up to 54 games during the WHL playoffs, creating a new modern-day CHL record.
McKenna recorded 49 goals and 138 points during his 54-game point streak, which surpassed Alexander Radulov's previous record of 50 games set during the 2005-06 season as a member of the Quebec Remparts.
The Whitehorse, Yukon, native went on to finish third in WHL playoff scoring with nine goals and 38 points to help lead the Tigers to an Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. He also helped his club reach the Memorial Cup Final where they fell to the London Knights.
Also making some history on Friday was Everett Silvertips defenceman Landon DuPont, who was named the CHL Rookie of the Year Award winner at 16 years and 16 days old.
He becomes the second youngest to win the award with Tavares taking home the honour at 15 years, eight months, and seven days old in 2006.
DuPont also became the first defenceman to win the award in 30 years and the third total, joining Philippe Boucher in 1991 and Bryan Berard in 1995.
The 5-foot-11 was selected first overall in the 2024 WHL Draft by Everett after he was granted exceptional status in order to join the league as a 15-year-old. He joins Connor Bedard as the only two players to be granted exceptional status in the WHL.
DuPont recorded 17 goals and 60 points in 64 games and became the first rookie defenceman to reach the 50-point plateau in the WHL since Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer accomplished the feat during the 1989-90 campaign as a member of the Kamloops Blazers.
Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa took home the CHL Top Scorer Award after putting up 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games during his draft season.
Misa becomes the seventh player in the last 20 years to win the award in their first year of eligibility for the NHL Draft with his point total sitting fourth among them. Only Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Bedard scored more than Misa in their first year of draft eligibility.
Also taking home awards on Friday were London Knights defenceman and San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson winning the Defenceman of the Year Award, Erie Otters defenceman and top NHL prospect Matthew Schaefer winning the Top Prospect Award, Kitchener Rangers goaltender Jackson Parsons winning the Goaltender of the Year Award, and Moncton Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall winning the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award.
Spokane Chiefs captain and Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton was named the CHL Sportsman of the Year, Rimouski Oceanic forward and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Mathieu Cataford was named CHL Scholastic Player of the Year, while Charlottetown Islanders defenceman Maxwell Jardine was named CHL Humanitarian Player of the Year.