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Calgary, AB — The Chicago Blackhawks were crowned 2010 Stanley Cup Champions on Wednesday, June 9th, after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final.
10 former WHL players were a part of the Blackhawks’ team that captured its first Stanley Cup since 1961, including forwards Marian Hossa (Portland), Dustin Byfuglien (Brandon, Prince George), Kris Versteeg (Lethbridge, Kamloops, Red Deer), Tomas Kopecky (Lethbridge), Troy Brouwer (Moose Jaw), Andrew Ladd (Calgary) and Colin Fraser (Red Deer), and defensemen Brent Seabrook (Lethbridge), Duncan Keith (Kelowna) and Brent Sopel (Saskatoon, Swift Current).
Duncan Keith, a Winnipeg, MB, native, joined the Kelowna Rockets midway through the 2002-03 season and helped lead them to the 2003 WHL Championship. A finalist for the 2009-10 Norris Trophy as the NHL’s Top Defenseman, Keith proved himself to be one of the best all-around rearguards in the NHL with his outstanding play this season. The 26-year-old led all Hawks defenseman and finished second among all NHL blueliners in scoring with 17 points in 22 post-season contests.
Hossa, a native of Slovakia, spent one season with the Winterhawks in 1997-98, scoring 45 goals and 85 points while leading the Hawks to the Memorial Cup Championship. Making his third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, Hossa tallied three goals and 12 assists for 15 points over 22 playoff contests for Chicago, finally capturing the Stanley Cup after being on the losing end with Pittsburgh in 2008 and Detroit in 2009.
Byfuglien, a Minneapolis, MN, product, played three seasons in the WHL from 2002-05, beginning his career with the Brandon Wheat Kings before moving to Prince George. The 6’4”, 257-lb enjoyed an outstanding playoff run with the Hawks, scoring 11 goals – five of them being game-winners – and 16 points in 22 games. Having played both defense and forward for the Hawks, Byfuglien proved to be an invaluable member of the Cup-winning squad.
Versteeg, a Lethbridge, AB, native, played four seasons in the WHL – his first three with his hometown Hurricanes – notching a career-best 22 goals and 52 points during the 2004-05 season. A Calder trophy finalist last season, Versteeg tallied six goals and 14 points for the Hawks in the 2010 playoffs, and finished second among Chicago forwards with a +8 rating.
Kopecky, from Slovakia, played two seasons in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2000-01 and 2001-02 where he scored 56 goals and 126 points in 109 contests. The 6’3”, 203-lb closed out the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs with four goals and six points in 17 games for the Champions.
Vancouver, B.C., native Troy Brouwer played 287 games over five seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors from 2001-06, and won the WHL scoring title in 2005-06 while leading the Warriors all the way to the WHL Championship series. A physical force for the Blackhawks, Brouwer tallied four goals and eight points over 19 games for the Hawks in the 2010 playoffs.
Ladd, who hails from Maple Ridge, B.C., played two campaigns in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen from 2003-05 where he partnered with Anaheim Ducks’ all-star Ryan Getzlaf to form one of the WHL’s most dangerous duos. Already owner of a Stanley Cup ring with Carolina in 2006, Ladd notched three goals and six points over 19 post-season contests with Chicago. The former 4th overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft scored in the Hawks’ Game 6 triumph.
Fraser, a Sicamous, B.C., product, spent four seasons with the Rebels from 2001-05, and was the WHL’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2005. A member of Canada’s All-Star Gold medal-winning 2005 World Junior team, Fraser appeared in three playoff games for the Hawks during their run to the Cup.
Delta, B.C., product Brent Seabrook played four seasons for the Lethbridge Hurricanes from 2001-05, piling up 39 goals and 176 points. Partnering with Duncan Keith to form one of the NHL’s best defensive duos through the 2009-10 season, Seabrook notched four goals and 11 points in 22 playoff games while averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game.
Sopel, a Calgary, AB, native, played 207 WHL contests with the Saskatoon Blades and Swift Current Broncos from 1993-97. The veteran of 588 NHL games notched one goal and six points to go with a solid +7 rating through 22 games during the Hawks’ run to the Cup Championship.
The WHL continues to be one of the World’s top development Leagues for supplying talent to the National Hockey League. Over 21% of all players who played at least one game in the NHL during the 2009-10 regular season are WHL graduates.
