Evan Daum, Canada West Communications
Highlights:
- Second-year Alberta Golden Bear forward Luke Philp is the Western Hockey League Graduate of the Month for October
- A veteran of 309 WHL games, Philp posted a goal and 12 assists in eight games for the Bears, who are 8-0-0 to start the season
- After each month of the Canada West men’s hockey season, the conference and WHL honour a WHL graduate, who is now excelling as a student-athlete with one of eight Canada West men’s hockey programs
EDMONTON – Luke Philp’s big month has landed the former Kootenay Ice forward the title of WHL Graduate of the Month for October.
Philp, who is in his second season with the Bears after playing five seasons in the WHL, posted a goal and 12 assists for Alberta over the first month of the Canada West men’s hockey season, as the defending conference champions opened their title defence with an 8-0-0 record. He currently sits second in the CW scoring race with 13 points, and enters the month of November with four multi-point games to his name this season.
OCTOBER WHL GRAD OF THE MONTH VIDEO
"Luke was a leader for us this past month in so many different areas. It is great for him to be recognized for his offensive production, but the contributions he has made to the early success we have had as a team go far beyond the scoresheet,” said Bears head coach Serge Lajoie of his sophomore centre, who started the season with points in seven consecutive games.
“He’s a player we can count upon in all situations, and has become a leader both on and off the ice for our program"
The Canmore, Alta. product joined the Bears last season after playing more than 300 WHL games over five seasons, spending the first four and a half seasons with Kootenay after being drafted by the Ice in the third round of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft.
Philp amassed 235 regular season points with the Ice before being traded midway through the 2015-16 season to the Red Deer Rebels, where he tallied 32 points in 38 combined games in a Rebels sweater. Philp was particularly good for the Rebels in the WHL playoffs and at the Memorial Cup, which was hosted in Red Deer. The Native studies student posted 13 points in the WHL post-season for the Rebels, before adding two goals and an assist in four Memorial Cup games.
Alberta and the rest of the conference are on a bye this weekend, before returning to the ice on Friday, Nov. 10, when the Bears resume their CW schedule with a series against the Lethbridge Pronghorns. You can catch the action online by watching Canada West TV – the official streaming home of every CW men’s hockey game.
Previous Canada West WHL Graduates of the Month
2016-17 Recipients:
October: Jamie Crooks, Alberta
November: Elgin Pearce, Calgary
December: Jay Merkley, Lethbridge
January: Jesse Forsberg, Saskatchewan
February: Connor Rankin, Mount Royal
March: Connor Gay, Saskatchewan