FIVE MINUTE MAJOR CHL Offseason News and Notes

It’s a new week in the major junior hockey off-season and next season’s schedules are already coming out as it was announced on Tuesday.

The WHL’s newest member the Penticton Vees will start a new B.C. Division rivalry on Friday, September 26, when they host the Kelowna Rockets at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The defending WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers will start the 2025-26 season Saturday, September 20, when they host the Regina Pats at Co-op Place.

In CHL news, the 2024-25 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams presented by CCM were announced on Friday. The first all-star team included Kitchener Rangers goaltender Jackson Parsons who finished with a 37-12-3-0 record, 2.24 GAA, .920 SV% & 5 SO in 50 GP during the 2024-25 season.

The two defensemen named to the team were Sam Dickinson from the defending Memorial Cup champion London Knights and Zayne Parekh from the Saginaw Spirit. Dickinson, a San Jose Sharks prospect tallied 29 goals and 62 assists for 91 points, +64 in 55 games played during the 2024-25 season. Parekh tallied 33 goals and 74 assists for 107 PTS and a +42 in 61 GP during the 2024-25 season.

Three forwards were named to the team including two from the WHL. Those two were Gavin McKenna from the Medicine Hat Tigers and Andrew Cristall from the Spokane Chiefs. The other forward named to the team was Michael Misa from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.

McKenna tallied 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points and+60 in 56 games played during the 2024-25 season. He also became the third-youngest player to win the CHL’s David Branch Player of the Year Award after a record-setting season in which he posted points in 53 of 56 regular-season games.

Cristall tallied 48 goals and 84 assists for 132 points, +59 in 57 games played during the 2024-25 season. He received the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s top scorer after recording 132 points in just 57 games with Spokane and Kelowna for the second-highest WHL total in the past decade behind only Connor Bedard.

Misa tallied 62 goals and 72 assists for 134 points and a +45 in 65 games played during the 2024-25 season.

The second and third all-star teams were also announced. The second team included two from the WHL in Spokane’s Berkly Catton and Portland’s Tyson Jugnauth. But perhaps the strongest showing came from the OHL as the remaining four were from there. Those players were London’s Austin Elliott, Oshawa’s Luca Marrelli, Brantford’s Nick Lardis and Windsor’s Ilya Protas.

The third all-star team included two from the WHL in Prince Albert’s Max Hildebrand and Everett’s Landon DuPont and another two each from the OHL and QMJHL. The two from the OHL were London’s Easton Cowan and Windsor’s Liam Greentree. The two from the QMJHL were Rimouski’s Jonathan Fauchon and Blainville-Boisbriand’s Xavier Villeneuve.

Lastly, the CHL’s All-Rookie Team was announced as well. That included Goaltender Lucas Beckman from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and defensemen Landon DuPoint from Everett and Ryan Lin from the Vancouver Giants. The forwards were Lars Steiner from the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Matvei Gridin from the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes and Pierce Mbuyi from the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.