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First & Second teams

Red Deer Rebels players named to WHL’s 2022-23 All-Star Teams

Mar 28, 2023 | 1:38 PM

The Western Hockey League (WHL) has announced the First and Second All-Star Teams for the 2022-23 WHL season, with four Red Deer Rebels players and another local making the list.

Officials say WHL Division All-Stars are voted upon by WHL General Managers.

FIRST ALL-STAR TEAMS

WHL Central Division First All-Star Team

  • Goaltender: Rhett Stoesser (Carstairs, Alta.) – Red Deer Rebels
  • Defenceman: Owen Pickering (St. Adolphe, Man.) – Swift Current Broncos
  • Defenceman: Christoffer Sedoff (Helsinki, Finland) – Red Deer Rebels
  • Forward: Riley Fiddler-Schultz (Sherwood Park, Alta.) – Calgary Hitmen
  • Forward: Josh Filmon (Winnipeg, Man.) – Swift Current Broncos
  • Forward: Kai Uchacz (De Winton, Alta.) – Red Deer Rebels

Goaltender Rhett Stoesser, the six-foot-two, 183-pound rookie, finished the 2022-23 regular season with a 19-6-0-0 record, posting a 2.35 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts along the way. With running mate Kyle Kelsey, the 17-year-old Stoesser was named a co-winner of the WHL’s Goaltender of the Month award for September and October. The product of Carstairs posted both of his shutouts within a six-day span in late October, while his 2.35 goals-against average was second-best among first-year goaltenders.

For defenceman Christoffer Sedoff, the Finnish rearguard signed an entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this month, leading Red Deer’s defence corps with 51 points (five goals-46 assists) this season. Sedoff, 21, led the Club with 30 power-play assists and enjoyed 13 multi-point games over the course of the season. In three full seasons with the Rebels, the six-foot-two, 196-pound defenceman has totalled 131 points (17 goals-114 assists) from his 185 regular season contests.

One of only two WHL skaters to reach the 50-goal mark this season, Kai Uchacz, 19, helped the Rebels capture the Central Division title with an 85-point campaign (50 goals-35 assists). One of four Red Deer skaters to appear in all 68 regular season contests in 2022-23, the De Winton, Alta. product collected three hat-tricks during the campaign, all of which occurred in a four-game span between December 27, 2022 and January 1, 2023. Listed on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term Rankings, the six-foot-two, 193-pound forward has totalled 128 points (67 goals-61 assists) from his 177 career WHL regular season games.

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WHL B.C. Division First All-Star Team

  • Goaltender – Jesper Vikman (Stockholm, Sweden) – Vancouver Giants
  • Defenceman – Ethan Samson (Delta, B.C.) – Prince George Cougars
  • Defenceman – Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) – Kamloops Blazers
  • Forward – Andrew Cristall (Burnaby, B.C.) – Kelowna Rockets
  • Forward – Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C.) – Kamloops Blazers
  • Forward – Chase Wheatcroft (Calgary, Alta.) – Prince George Cougars

WHL East Division First All-Star Team

  • Goaltender: Daniel Hauser (Chestermere, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE
  • Defenceman: Stanislav Svozil (Prerov, Czechia) – Regina Pats
  • Defenceman: Benjamin Zloty (Calgary, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE
  • Forward: Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Regina Pats
  • Forward: Zach Benson (Chilliwack, B.C.) – Winnipeg ICE
  • Forward: Connor McClennon (Wainwright, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE

WHL U.S. Division First All-Star Team

  • Goaltender – Thomas Milic (Coquitlam, B.C.) – Seattle Thunderbirds
  • Defenceman – Lukas Dragicevic (Richmond, B.C.) – Tri-City Americans
  • Defenceman – Kevin Korchinski (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Seattle Thunderbirds
  • Forward – Jackson Berezowski (Yorkton, Sask.) – Everett Silvertips
  • Forward – Jared Davidson (Edmonton, Alta.) – Seattle Thunderbirds
  • Forward – Gabe Klassen (Prince Albert, Sask.) – Portland Winterhawks

SECOND ALL-STAR TEAMS

WHL Central Division Second All-Star Team

  • Goaltender: Harrison Meneghin (Surrey, B.C.) – Lethbridge Hurricanes
  • Defenceman: Dru Krebs (Okotoks, Alta.) – Medicine Hat Tigers
  • Defenceman: Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary, Alta.) – Calgary Hitmen
  • Forward: Jayden Grubbe (Calgary, Alta.) – Red Deer Rebels
  • Forward: Mathew Ward (Kamloops, B.C.) – Swift Current Broncos
  • Forward: Oasiz Wiesblatt (Calgary, Alta.) – Medicine Hat Tigers

Grubbe captained the Rebels to the Club’s first Central Division crown in 12 years, collecting a career-best 18 goals and 67 points along the way. The 20-year-old, who hails from Calgary, was one of 10 Red Deer skaters to reach double-digits in goals, while his 35 power-play points led the team. The six-foot-three, 203-pound forward was a third-round selection by the New York Rangers in the 2021 NHL Draft. In 194 WHL games, all with Red Deer, Grubbe has totalled 134 points (39 goals -95 assists).

(WHL)

WHL East Division Second All-Star Team

  • Goaltender: Austin Elliott (Strathmore, Alta.) – Saskatoon Blades
  • Defenceman: Aidan De La Gorgendiere (Langley, B.C.) – Saskatoon Blades
  • Defenceman: Landon Kosior (Regina, Sask.) – Prince Albert Raiders
  • Forward: Nate Danielson (Red Deer, Alta.) – Brandon Wheat Kings
  • Forward: Matthew Savoie (St. Albert, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE
  • Forward: Trevor Wong (Vancouver, B.C.) – Saskatoon Blades

Rated number 13 among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Danielson led the Wheat Kings in goals (33), assists (45), points (78) and power-play goals (13) during the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season. The product of Red Deer averaged more than a point per game for the second consecutive campaign while winning 52.7 per cent of the 1,267 face-offs he contested. The 18-year-old, who stands six-foot-one and 185-pounds, was one of two Wheat Kings to compete in the 2023 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game in Langley, B.C. on January 25. In 145 career WHL contests, Danielson has earned 150 points (59 goals -91 assists).

(WHL)

WHL B.C. Division Second All-Star Team

  • Goaltender: Dylan Ernst (Weyburn, Sask.) – Kamloops Blazers
  • Defenceman: Kyle Masters (Edmonton, Alta.) – Kamloops Blazers
  • Defenceman: Hudson Thornton (Winnipeg, Man.) – Prince George Cougars
  • Forward: Caedan Bankier (Surrey, B.C.) – Kamloops Blazers
  • Forward: Riley Heidt (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Prince George Cougars
  • Forward: Matthew Seminoff (Coquitlam, B.C.) – Kamloops Blazers

WHL U.S. Division Second All-Star Team

  • Goaltender: Tomas Suchanek (Olomouc, Czechia) – Tri-City Americans
  • Defenceman: Nolan Allan (Davidson, Sask.) – Seattle Thunderbirds
  • Defenceman: Luca Cagnoni (Burnaby, B.C.) – Portland Winterhawks
  • Forward: Chase Bertholet (The Pas, Man.) – Spokane Chiefs
  • Forward: Lucas Ciona (Edmonton, Alta.) – Seattle Thunderbirds
  • Forward: Austin Roest (Coldstream, B.C.) – Everett Silvertips

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