The
2016-2017 WHL season saw the Big Three winning their second
championship with 393 goals and saw the end of an incredible streak
of 8 consecutive years that Bada Bing finished in the money.
Being led by the league leading 44 goals of Crosby and Patrick
Kane's 34 goals, Big Three blew away the competition with surprise
breakout years by Pastrnak 34, Lee 34, Draisaitl 29 and the return
of Grabner with 27 goals. The last time Big Three won the WHL was
during the lockout season of 2012-2013.
Last years champions the Reservoir Dogs came in 2nd place (378
goals), the third time in 2nd place in the last four years, and
the record fifth time in his career being the runner up. The
Dogs secured 2nd place with a well balanced attack and great
years from Tarasenko 39, Skinner 37, Rakell 33 and the
incredible year of defenseman Burns 29 goals.
Two original members of the WHL finished the season in a
frenzied race with Helmut (361 goals) netting 3 tallies in the
final night of the season to edge out the late surging Sudbury
Wolves (359 goals) to gain 3rd place. This marks the 9th time
that Helmut will finish in the money in his career. This also
marks the record 13th time the the Sudbury Wolves organization
has finished in the money. Ironically, Helmut edged out the
Wolves by acquiring Marchessault, one of the hottest players in
March, in a deadline trade that made Sudbury look stupid and
inept.
The return of two former WHL owners (and OIHL members) Fred and
Jack joined together to lead the Oyster Bay Liberty to a 5th
place finish (339 goals) with the impressive scoring of rookie
Matthews 40 goals and the breakout season of Kadri 32 goals.
2005-2006 was their last season in the WHL when Fred led the
Oyster Bay Liberty to a WHL championship and Jack led the Northern
Lights to a sixth place finish.
Other interesting notes of this past season;
1. The Oyster Bay Liberty's Austin Matthews became the
second highest rookie scorer in WHL history with 40 goals, only
bested by previous Liberty rookie, Ovechkin who scored 52 goals
in 2005-06. Matthews passed the rookie season of Blackhawks
rookie Crosby, also in the 2005-06 season who had 39 goals.
2. The Sudbury Wolves set a new WHL record for Team of
the Month with 97 goals, surpassing the record held by Helmut's
96 goals. Incredibly Helmut's record was accomplished in the
standard month of November 2006, all other other monthly highs
occurred in the extended month of March.
3. The Reservoir Dogs Brent Burns became the second
highest scoring defensman in WHL history with 29 goals. The
record is held by Green 31 goals in the 2008-09 season for the
Bada Bing.
4. The Sudbury Wolves selected Patrick Eaves with 32 goals in the 23rd round, the second to last pick.
5. Bada Bing selected Martin Hanzal 20 goals in the 23rd
round also, right before Eaves.
6. The 44 goals scored by Crosby is the 2nd lowest total to lead the league in history (excluding strike/lockout seasons), the lowest was during the 2003-04 season when Iginla, Nash and Kovalchuk tied with 41 goals.
Best 1st round pick: Matthews 40 goals Oyster Bay Liberty
Best 2nd round pick: Crosby 44 goals Big Three
Best 3rd round pick: Laine 36 goals Bada Bing
Best 4th round pick: Skinner 37 goals Reservoir Dogs
Best 5th round pick: Malkin 33 goals Big Three
Best 6th round pick: Scheifele 32 goals Winter is Coming
Best 7th round pick: Pastrnak 34 goals Big Three
Best 8th round pick: Atkinson 35 goals Winter is Coming
Best 9th round pick: Carter 32 goals Reservoir Dogs
Best 10th round pick: Ehlers 25 goals Sudbury Wolves
Best 11th round pick: Stone 22 goals Reservoir Dogs
Best 12th round pick: Eichel 24 goals Son of Rudy
Best 13th round pick: Lee 34 goals Big Three
Best 14th round pick: Rakell 33 goals Reservoir Dogs
Best 15th round pick: Kadri 32 goals Oyster Bay Liberty
Best 16th round pick: E Staal 28 goals McDonaghlds
Best 17th round pick: Backstrom 23 goals Reservoir Dogs
Best 18th round pick: Killorn 19 goals Big Three
Best 19th round pick: Hartman 19 goals Helmut
Best 20th round pick: Grabner 27 goals Big Three
EXTRA PICKS
Best 21th round pick: Ellis 16 goals Sudbury Wolves
Best 22th round pick: Spooner 12 goals Bada Bing
Best 23th round pick: Eaves 32 goals Sudbury Wolves
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