Evan Gardner (pictured) is a W-H-L division award winner.

The 17-year-old rookie was named the East Division winner of the W-H-L Humanitarian-of-the-Year award.

In addition, for a second straight year, the Saskatoon Blades are the East Division winners of the W-H-L Business Award.

After revealing that he is a Type 1 Diabetic, Gardner partnered with Diabetes Canada for the Lace Up to End Diabetes initiative during Diabetes Awareness Month in November.

The Bridge City Bunch, meantime, recorded for the first time since hosting the Memorial Cup in 2011, the Blue and Gold averaged over five-thousand fans per game at 5,166 – 600 more per game than in 2022-23. Following are news releases from, both, the Blades and the W-H-L…..

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, April 2nd: Gardner named East Division nominee for WHL Humanitarian of the Year

Saskatoon, SK – The Saskatoon Blades are proud to announce rookie goal Evan Gardner is the East Division nominee for the 2023-24 WHL Humanitarian of the Year Award. The league announced all four division nominees Tuesday afternoon.

The 18-year-old netminder was forced to come to training camp early due to the forest fires in Kelowna, BC, and got to work with the community of Saskatoon immediately. Upon arrival, Gardner dedicated his time all week at our inaugural hockey school as a first year Blade.

The Fort St. John, BC native has already shown leadership and maturity well beyond his years. The NHL draft-eligible goalie became a role model for people living with diabetes after he shared his story about being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 11 years old. Gardner’s story resonated with people also living with diabetes and showed people who struggle with the disease that their dreams are still possible. “Don’t let it take a negative toll on you, you’re still a normal person” was something Gardner made sure to get across to those who have a hard time with the disease.

After going public with his diagnosis, Gardner partnered with Diabetes Canada for the Lace Up to End Diabetes initiative during Diabetes Awareness Month in November. Gardner led the “Unite the Circle” challenge in which Blades fans walked the concourse of SaskTel Centre on November 17^th to raise funds for Diabetes Canada. After the game, Gardner offered to meet with the participants unprompted. Gardner continues to be an ambassador for Diabetes Canada and hopes to take the initiative even further in the future.

On top of all his work with Diabetes Canada, Gardner has some of the most hours in the community this year representing the Blades. The organization received a call from Eden Care Home (a home for individuals living with diversabilities) about Gardner’s visit on Feb. 21^st, 2024. The club was told of how thrilled residents of the home were to spend time with Evan, and how courteous he was with his time while there.

Gardner also spent several nights at minor hockey practices across the city to help teach kids fundamentals of the game, but also spark passion in the league’s future stars. With all his work around Saskatoon, Gardner balanced school alongside the hectic schedule of the WHL and is one of the top goalies in the league. The 6-foot-2 netminder understands the importance of success on the ice but also knows the impact and inspiration he has on the community is more important.

Gardner is well respected by his teammates, coaches, opponents, and fans. On behalf of the entire organization, congratulations Evan on being nominated for WHL Humanitarian of the Year, and thank you for all your contributions to the city of Saskatoon this season!

WHL ANNOUNCES DIVISION NOMINEES FOR DOUG WICKENHEISER MEMORIAL TROPHY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / APRIL 2, 2024

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League has announced the 2023-24 Division nominees for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy.

The prestigious award is presented annually to the WHL Humanitarian of the Year.

Recent winners include current Dallas Stars forward and Hockey Gives Blood ambassador Logan Stankoven (KAM), Luke Prokop (EDM), inclusion advocate and the first openly gay hockey player signed to an NHL contract, and Riley Fiddler-Schultz (CGY), a longtime supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Calgary, Veterans Food Bank and Canadian Mental Health Association.

This year’s recipient of the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy will be announced on Thursday, May 2.

WHL Humanitarian of the Year Nominees
B.C. Division – Ty Hurley (Sherwood Park, Alta.)- Kelowna Rockets
Central Division – Shane Smith (Cessford, Alta.)- Medicine Hat Tigers
East Division – Evan Gardner (Fort St. John, B.C.)- Saskatoon Blades
U.S. Division – Tyler Palmer (Fernie, B.C.)- Everett Silvertips

WHL Humanitarian of the Year Biographies

Forward Ty Hurley (Kelowna Rockets)

Ty Hurley is the WHL B.C. Division Humanitarian of the Year.

The second-year Rockets forward’s quick thinking proved lifesaving after a scary incident in December of 2023.

The Kelowna Rockets forward noticed a man struggling in a hotel pool in Strathmore, Alta., and jumped into action, pulling the man out of the pool and performing life-saving CPR until paramedics arrived on-scene.

“I took off my shirt and leaned over the edge (of the pool) and grabbed him by his shoulders and ripped him out of the water,” Hurley recalled after the fact. “He was probably under there for at least 30-40 seconds. I got him out of there, flipped him on his back and he wasn’t breathing at all. It was pretty scary.”

Hurley had previously completed life-saving courses and has advocated that others do the same.

The 19-year-old was awarded the Silver Medal of Merit and the M.G. Griffiths Award by the Lifesaving Society, B.C. and Yukon at the 112^th Annual Commonwealth Award for Honour and Rescue in March.

Forward Shane Smith (Medicine Hat Tigers)

WHL Central Division Humanitarian of the Year Shane Smith brings a veteran presence to the Medicine Hat Tigers, but the team says his most impressive stat may be time spent in the community.

The Cessford, Alta. product led his team with over 200 volunteer hours in the 2023-24 regular season.

Smith regularly visits schools in the Medicine Hat area to speak to students about leadership, goal-setting and mental health and to grab a stick for some floor hockey games.

The NHL Draft-eligible forward helped coach Medicine Hat Minor Hockey players in U19 to U15 age groups and took part in events like Skate with the Tigers, Canadian Armed Forces Family Skates at CFB Suffield and Tigers Adaptive Floor Hockey Games with the Special Olympics Medicine Hat team ahead of the annual Joey Moss Tournament.

Off the ice, Smith was a part of the Santa Claus Fund, an organization helping people in need select gifts for their families, and the Wild 94.5 Food Drive in support of the Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub.

The 19-year-old is already laying the groundwork for future projects in the 2024-25 season, mainly focusing on advocating for mental health awareness in children and youth.

Goaltender Evan Gardner (Saskatoon Blades)

In his first WHL season, Saskatoon Blades goaltender Evan Gardner is the WHL East Division Humanitarian of the Year.

Gardner has spoken openly about his type-1 diabetes diagnosis at the age of 11 in hopes of showing other people living with the condition that they can still chase their dreams.

The now-18-year-old partnered with Diabetes Canada for numerous events, including the Lace Up to End Diabetes initiative for Diabetes Awareness Month in November and the Unite the Circle challenge.

Unite the Circle saw Blades fans walk the concourse of the SaskTel Centre to raise money for Diabetes Canada.

Gardner met with participants after the game and hopes to grow the partnership with the national body for diabetes education, research, resources and service.

On top of putting together a fantastic rookie season on the ice, Gardner also volunteered his time at local minor hockey practices across the city and spent time with people living at Eden Care Home, a Saskatoon home for people living with diversabilities.

Despite being one of the youngest players on the Blades, the team believes Gardner has shown maturity and leadership well beyond his years.

Goaltender Tyler Palmer (Everett Silvertips)

WHL U.S. Division Humanitarian of the Year Tyler Palmer has recognized need in the Everett community and has made a lasting impression on the city in his final season of major junior hockey.

The Fernie, B.C. product founded the Tyler Palmer Save Drive, which saw the netminder donate $2 of his own money for every save he recorded from American Thanksgiving to the WHL’s Christmas Break.

With 223 saves, Palmer’s $450 donation was matched by a local partner for a $900 gift to the Faith Food Bank.

Faith Food Bank’s Roxana Bouroujerdi says the group was able to buy 900 pounds of hamburger meat for a much-needed holiday boost. The organization typically sees more than 200 food pickups per week from those in need.

Palmer has connected with local minor hockey players through mentorship and participating in practices, as well as a surprise visit to young goalie Bentley Garlock-Heuer on his 10^th birthday.

The second-year Silvertip helped organize a player visit to Providence Comprehensive Breast Center’s cancer treatment ward ahead of the team’s Pink the Rink game in October and garnered nearly $5,000 for the Navy Recruitment District Seattle Officer’s Fund during the annual Tip-a-Tip event.

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Tuesday, April 2nd: Blades named East Division nominee for WHL Business of the Year

Saskatoon, SK – The Saskatoon Blades are the East Division nominee for the WHL Business Award. The league announced all four division nominees Tuesday morning.

Enjoying one of the club’s most successful seasons in franchise history on the ice, the Blades once again led the way in providing the best in-game entertainment at an affordable price for the people of Saskatoon. Countless hours spent by players interacting with fans and in the community, along with an engaging coaching staff helped make the team more personable and to fans across the city.

Focused on delivering an experience gearfed towards the fans best interest every single night, this season saw the Blades increase their average attendance by more than 12 percent compared to the 2022-23 season. The Blades averaged 5166 fans through the doors throughout the 2023-24 campaign, 660 people more than 2022-23 and the highest since the 2012-13 season when the team averaged 6040 fans. The hype hit a fever pitch for Fan Appreciation Night as 13,004 fans flooded inside SaskTel Centre for the final home game of the regular season.

Attendance was increased thanks in part to improved digital access for tickets, ticket options suited for many peoples needs, and players showing their personality which allowed fans to connect with a human behind the hockey player.

Fan-favourite playoff passes returned, allowing fans to purchase their seats for $129 for the entire playoffs. Playoff passes sold out within 24 hours of going on sale, as around 15,000 fans filled the arena for games 1 and 2 combined of Round 1 vs the Prince Albert Raiders.

A $40 Family Pack was once again a popular option this season, particularly with in-game entertainment focused on families and children. The three sections designated for Family Packs were routinely sold out.

In-game entertainment was once again second-to-none in the WHL. Berries Night was a hit as the Blades rebranded for one night to the Saskatoon Berries in honour of the city’s new baseball team debiting this spring. Kids Takeover returned as the team handed over all their in-game controls to youth in Saskatoon, topped off by our sponsorship rink boards designed by kids!

Initiatives such as Girls Rock!, Seniors Night, Pride Night in support of OUT Saskatoon, First Nations Night, and Pucks & Paws proved to the community that Blades games are for everyone. Not only are people welcomed at Blades games, they’re celebrated. These special theme nights helped engaged new fans and create a fun environment that welcomes new fans back for future games.

The Blades built off their work with Saskatoon Minor Hockey from last season with players spending countless evenings at minor hockey practices, and hosted group nights such as Goalies Night. Group rates for minor hockey clubs brought hundreds of kids to SaskTel Centre, growing their passion for the game.

For the second straight pre-season, the Blades partnered with the Prince Albert Raiders to play an exhibition game on Big River First Nation, bringing hockey to the remote Saskatchewan community. As a part of the event, the Blades participated in a pow-wow, engaging with local community members in a powerful setting.

Beyond the exhibition game on Big River First Nation, the Blades put an emphasis on continuing a strong partnership with Chief Mark Arcand of the Saskatoon Tribal Council. This season, the Blades filled 3,000 backpacks for inner city youth at White Buffalo Youth Lodge, returning in December to host a hot dinner during the holiday season. Assistant Coach Wacey Rabbit has made it a priority to share his journey as an Indigenous coach and former player.

Two separate theme night initiatives saw the Blades provide proceeds back to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, including the RE/MAX presents Nickelodeon Night in support of the Children’s Miracle Network, as well as Berries Night.

Certain players took it one step further to be role models in the community. Rookie goalie Evan Gardner teamed up with Diabetes Canada after sharing his story of being diagnosed with type-1 diabetes as a kid. Gardner was an ambassador for the Lace Up to End Diabetes initiative in November which saw fans walk laps around the concourse to raise awareness for diabetes.

21-year-old forward Easton Armstrong shared his struggles of being diagnosed with dyslexia, inspiring children dealing with the same learning disability to reach out to Easton and feel more confident in school. Armstrong also dedicated his time to Roadways Literacy Academy, speaking to children at the school for children with learning disabilities.

WHL ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR WHL BUSINESS AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the nominees for the 2023-24 WHL Business Award, presented annually to the WHL Club that best exemplifies giving back to the community and producing an electrifying game-day experience for fans.

All individual WHL Division Award winners will be eligible for the 2024 WHL Awards, which will be announced from Tuesday, April 30 through Thursday, May 9.

WHL Business Award – Division Winners
B.C. Division – Prince George Cougars
Central Division – Edmonton Oil Kings
East Division – Saskatoon Blades
U.S. Division – Portland Winterhawks

WHL Business Award Summaries

Prince George Cougars: The 2023-24 WHL season saw the Cougars enjoy increases in all areas of ticket sales, thanks to a dedicated sales team and much-improved marketing strategy.

The Cougars led the WHL in increased attendance, enjoying a jump of 29 per cent from 2022-23 to 2023-24. Season membership sales have increased 43 per cent from 2022-23 and now exceed pre-COVID levels.

The Cougars specialty loge seating space continues to be highly sought after, with 40 premium seats sold out once again in 2023-24. Suites at CN Centre were completely sold out for 2023-24 with demand resulting in a waiting list for the 2024-25 season.

New game-night experiences have helped to enrich the atmosphere in CN Centre on Cougars game days, including a lineup featuring Benchwarmers, High-5 Tunnel, Fanboni, Three Stars Presentation, and Junior Cougar.

Promotional theme nights in Prince George also served as a significant contributor to the revitalized experience in 2023-24, providing the Cougars with the opportunity to reach new fans. Over the course of the campaign, the Cougars celebrated a number of promotional theme nights, including:

Community Heroes Weekend in support of teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters, RCMP, first responders, wildfire service members, search and rescue, and more.
Teddy Bear Toss
Indigenous Night, which welcomed 12 different First Nations communities and included a speciality uniform and logo designed by local Lheidli T’enneh First Nation artist Kym Gouchie.
Pink in the Rink, which featured specialty uniforms and 50/50 sales of nearly $145,000 with proceeds benefitting the B.C. Cancer Foundation in support of cancer research in Prince George.
Retro Night, which re-introduced fans to a celebrated nostalgic Cougars brand.

Across 34 home games, including the various theme nights, the Cougars managed to increase overall 50/50 ticket sales to nearly $1 million in 2023-24, up from roughly $600,000 in 2022-23. Community groups that benefitted from the Cougars impressive 50/50 include the Prince George Community Foundation, B.C. Cancer Foundation, Salvation Army Foodbank and Spirit of the North Healthcare.

On the merchandise front, the Cougars have diversified their offerings, revamped the team store and taken a different approach to marketing the product, resulting in significant increases in sales.

Corporate sponsors in Northern B.C. have responded, resulting in a 74-per-cent increase in overall corporate sponsorship sales from 2022-23 to 2023-24.

Edmonton Oil Kings: For the second consecutive season, the Edmonton Oil Kings are the WHL Central Division finalist for the WHL Business Award.

The Oil Kings led the WHL in attendance during the 2023-24 season, averaging nearly 7,500 fans per night, up from 6,500 in 2022-23.

Edmonton’s business team focused year-long efforts on providing unsurpassed entertainment for families at a world-class facility in Rogers Place. The creation of Kid’s Food Combos was a key component on delivering the message of value that goes beyond the initial ticket purchase. The Kid’s Food Combo provided families with eight individual food options at an affordable price and fans flocked to the new offering.

The Oil Kings Season Seat Membership pricing model offered dedicated fans a value-based “No Frills” option in addition to a more comprehensive “all-in” model. As a result of this new approach to Season Seat Membership, the Oil Kings have drastically increased the volume of Season Seat Membership and renewed existing members at a much higher rate than previously. Edmonton Oil Kings Season Seat Membership has doubled from what it was three seasons ago, despite the challenges of an on-ice product that is rebuilding after winning the 2022 WHL Championship.

The Oil Kings remain committed to the community and youth hockey in Northern Alberta. Part of a core mandate of the Club, the Oil Kings started the season with two key fundraisers for minor hockey associations when they hosted preseason games in Grande Cache and Enoch First Nation, Alta. Representing the first time WHL hockey was played in each community, these games raised over $30,000 for the Grande Cache Minor Hockey Association and nearly $10,000 for the Enoch Minor Hockey Association.

Throughout the season, the Oil Kings were engaged in various community endeavours, including 10 school visits, a trip to the Stollery Children’s Hospital, numerous minor hockey practices, and arranging and participating in blood drives in partnership with Hockey Gives Blood and Canada Blood Services.

Three theme jersey nights brought energy to Rogers Place and helped the Oil Kings raise nearly $45,000 for three different charities.

Oil Kings Teddy Bear Toss Game theme jersey auction raised nearly $18,000 for Santas Anonymous.
Auction of SpongeBob SquarePants theme jerseys for RE/MAX Presents Nickelodeon Night for Children’s Miracle Network raised over $15,000 for Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Auction of fan-designed jerseys through Superstore Jersey Design Contest raised nearly $10,000 for PC Children’s Charity.

A fourth theme jersey auction – the Oil Kings camouflage jersey for military appreciation – is set to raise further funds for Valour Place, a military family support house in Edmonton.

The Oil Kings also introduced a number of new theme nights, including An Afternoon with Elvis, Oil Rumble featuring live professional wrestling matches, and the Ghostbusters Game.

Saskatoon Blades: For the second consecutive season, the Saskatoon Blades are the WHL East Division finalist for the WHL Business Award.

Over the course of the past season, the Blades have seen a jump in attendance, fuelled by a 38 per cent increase to their season ticket holder base from 2022-23. For the first time since hosting the Memorial Cup in 2011, the Blades have averaged over 5,000 fans per game.

Offering affordable family entertainment, the Blades’ $40 family packs (two adults, two kids) have been a hit, resulting in an expansion of the sections available to accommodate demand for these packages.

A new partnership with NexGen Energy helped the Blades connect with Indigenous youth from remote communities in northern Saskatchewan, bringing children to Saskatoon for a Blades practice and game, and a presentation with players and staff discussing the importance of sports and healthy living.

The Blades popular “Playoff Pass” was once again a success, with over 3,000 playoff passes sold in 2024, ensuring SaskTel Centre will be packed with an impressive fan base for the 2024 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien.

A number of new theme nights graced the Blades schedule throughout 2023-24, including:

Saskatoon Berries Baseball Night featuring jerseys inspired by the WCBL expansion baseball team, berry ice cream and drinks at concessions, and complete with baseball-themed visuals and activities in venue, including a seventh-inning stretch, foul balls and a ceremonial first pitch.
- Proceeds from the Saskatoon Berries theme jersey auction were donated to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
$5 Night in September drew nearly 6,000 fans for $5 tickets, $5 concession items and beverages, and $5 cash giveaways at every single stoppage in play.

The Saskatoon Blades Fan Experience Zone, located off-site from SaskTel Centre, has allowed the Club to partner with local clothing brands such as 22Fresh and PLYR to generate substantial growth to merchandise revenue. This interactive space hosts player meet-and-greets, autograph sessions and in-person customer service on a year-round basis.

A new approach to digital marketing has helped the Blades further advance their efforts across a variety of fronts, including a partnership with Team Linkt – a scheduling app for minor and recreational sports leagues, which allows the Club to send offers and reminders to thousands of local users.

Portland Winterhawks: With significant increases across ticket revenue, attendance, merchandise revenue, partnership revenue and concession revenue, the Portland Winterhawks are the 2023-24 WHL U.S. Division finalist for the WHL Business Award.

An innovative approach to business, including various game night promotions and community outreach helped the Winterhawks to boost metrics across all major categories in 2023-24.

In total, 22 of 34 Winterhawks home games featured a promotion or initiative, including the growth of the “Hockey is for Everyone” game day series:

Hawkey For All Night
Black Hockey History
Pride Night
Women of the Rose City Night
Kid’s Day Game

The Winterhawks “Hockey is for Everyone” game day series partnered with local organizations such as You Can Play, Boys and Girls Club, Women in Sports and Events (WISE), Portland Women’s Hockey League, First Tee, the Oregon Zoo, Sunshine Division, and more.

Theme games helped to drive an 81 per cent increase in revenue generated through VIP Lounge and ticketed social areas, thanks to improvements to ticketing options for both.

A multi-year partnership with the Boys and Girls Club saw Winterhawks players play street hockey with Boys and Girls Club members through an afterschool program. The new partnership also brought about a learn-to-play program called Tom’s Tykes, exclusively for Boys and Girls Club members. This new program featured seven on-ice sessions for 40 local members of the Boys and Girls Club.

On a monthly basis, the Winterhawks introduced a new merchandise collection to align with a key promotional night. On four occasions, this merchandise initiative included a theme jersey. This targeted approach to merchandise drops resulted in a 25-per-cent increase to sales from 2022-23.

Throughout the 2023-24 season, the Winterhawks have partnered with Hired Haven Entertainment to capture content for a behind-the-scenes docuseries celebrating the WHL, the success of the Winterhawks franchise, and the on- and off-ice storylines of Winterhawks players and coaching staff.

The implementation of a bi-monthly holistic marketing campaign allowed the Winterhawks to highlight two key promotional nights every month. This approach included TV commercials, digital billboard campaigns, social media campaigns, radio campaigns and a local bar program.

A unique initiative saw Winterhawks players collaborate with a college media professor on curriculum that featured podcast production, preparation for merchandise photoshoots, and social media activation.

The Winterhawks also hosted a charity golf weekend prior to training camp, connecting fans with alumni in an effort to raise proceeds for the Players Education Fund, youth hockey and Tom’s Tykes. Funds raised during the event allowed children to attend skating classes and receive an introduction to hockey through free classes, ice time and equipment.