NEWSLETTER
On Tuesday afternoon, the WHL announced the divisional winners and finalists for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the league’s Defenseman of the Year. Blackhawks prospect and Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Kevin Korchinski is the finalist from the U.S. Division.
Korchinski, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (selected with the first-round pick the Blackhawks received from Ottawa in the Alex DeBrincat trade), scored a junior career-best 11 goals, 62 assists and 73 points this season.
From the WHL release:
Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman Kevin Korchinski is the WHL U.S. Division Defenceman of the Year. The product of Saskatoon, Sask. led all Thunderbirds defencemen with a career-best 73 points (11G-62A) while accumulating a plus-minus rating of +50. His 62 assists led all Western Conference blueliners. Korchinski, the seventh-overall selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Draft, helped Canada capture a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in January. The 18-year-old, who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, was originally selected by Seattle with the 10th-overall pick in the 2019 WHL Draft and has totalled 148 points (13G-135A) over his 145 appearances with the Thunderbirds.
The winner of the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy will be announced Wednesday, May 10.
