The Herald’s Everett Silvertips All-Decade Teams

Oh, what a decade it’s been for the Everett Silvertips.

Four U.S. Division championships. Ten playoff berths. Seven playoff series wins. One trip to the Western Hockey League finals. Three head coaching changes. One general manager change.

Over the decade, just four teams have won more games than the Silvertips in the WHL — Portland, Kelowna, Medicine Hat and Spokane.

As one may imagine, some talented players were part of that successful stretch.

After much deliberation with former Silvertips beat writers Nick Patterson and Jesse Geleynse, and second-guessing with those around the Silvertips organization, we were was able to narrow down a list of 12 for The Herald’s Silvertips All-Decade Teams.

The list of players is robust: Eight of the 12 are playing professional hockey and six of those are on NHL contracts. One is playing college hockey in Canada and three are currently finishing their careers in Everett.

Without further ado, here are the teams from the 2010s:

FIRST TEAM

LW: Connor Dewar (2015-2019)

Stats: 99 goals, 197 points, 0.37 GPG, 0.73 PPG, +46

Born and raised in The Pas, Manitoba, a small trapping town nestled on the confluence of the Pasquia and Saskatchewan rivers in Northern Manitoba, Dewar was a diminutive and unheralded bantam player, but Silvertips Manitoba regional scout Doug Sinclair loved his motor and the Silvertips drafted him in the fifth round of the WHL bantam draft.

Dewar made an instant impact as a 16-year-old and rose up the lineup from there. In 2017-2018, current head coach Dennis Williams’ first at the helm, Dewar broke out with a 38-goal, 68-point season to pop onto the NHL draft radar. The Minnesota Wild fell in love with his hands around the net, swift skating and, of course, his work ethic and took him in the third round of the 2018 draft.

Dewar’s tenure in Everett was defined by his heart-on-his-sleeve persona and tenacious work ethic, which made him an instant fan favorite. It also made him a revered figure to his coaches and teammates and a major reason why he earned the captaincy as a 19-year-old.

Where are they now: After signing an entry-level contract with the Wild last March, Dewar is playing for the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. After being a healthy scratch often early in the season, Dewar has settled in nicely with three goals and six points in 20 games.

C: Matt Fonteyne (2013-2018)

Stats: 82 goals, 208 points, 0.24 GPG, 0.61 PPG, +42

Simply put, Fonteyne assembled a rock-solid career as a Silvertip.

The Wetaskiwin, Alberta, native was a third-round bantam pick by the Silvertips and stuck on the team as a 16-year-old. From there, Fonteyne was a constant presence in the Silvertips lineup, earning the trust of his coaches with his solid two-way play at the center position. Fonteyne was always a solid offensive player, but emerged as a serious threat in 2017, when Williams entered the fold, and his point total ballooned from 47 to 88.

More than anything, Fonteyne was beloved for his friendly disposition, articulate way of speaking and his leadership.

Where are they now: Fonteyne is redshirting for the University of Alberta after spending a season with the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda in 2018-2019.

RW: Patrick Bajkov (2013-2018)

Stats: 112 goals, 288 points, 0.33 GPG, 0.84 PPG, +44

There isn’t a more prolific forward in Silvertips’ history than Patrick Bajkov.

Bajkov’s 288 points are the most in franchise history. So are his 112 goals. Not bad for a sixth-round bantam pick out of Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Even in former head coach Kevin Constantine’s low-scoring system, Bajkov was a consistent goal-scorer with an ultra-quick release on his shot. His breakout 100-point season under Williams in 2017-2018 earned Bajkov an entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers after being passed over in the draft several times.

Where are they now: Bajkov is still signed by the Panthers and is playing for the Greenville Swamprabbits in the ECHL. His 13 goals and 21 points are the second-highest on the team.

D: Ryan Murray (2009-2013)

Stats: 22 goals, 121 points, 0.12 GPG, 0.63 PPG, +51

There’s perhaps never been a more talented skater to come through Everett than Murray.

The smooth-skating, two-way defenseman from White City, Saskatchewan, made an immediate impact as a 16-year-old with 27 points, an impressive amount for a rookie.

Murray’s stock only rose and his respect only grew within the organization. Murray was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets No. 2 overall in the 2012 draft, the Silvertips’ highest draft pick in the organization’s history, and was a two-time captain for Everett from 2011-2013.

Where are they now: Murray is in his seventh season with the Blue Jackets, but unfortunately injuries have once again hampered his season. Murray was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury on Dec. 20.

D: Noah Juulsen (2013-2017)

Stats: 30 goals, 124 points, 0.13 GPG, 0.52 PPG, +48

Juulsen is one of the cornerstones of Everett’s strong tradition of producing quality defensemen.

The Abbotsford, British Columbia, native was taken in the fourth round in the 2012 bantam draft, but quickly turned into an impact two-way defenseman in the WHL. In his draft year in 2014-2015, Juulsen totaled a career-high 52 points en route to being drafted in the first round, 26th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens. He also backstopped Team Canada to a gold medal in the World Junior Championships in 2018.

Where are they now: Juulsen most recently played for the AHL’s Laval Rocket in the Canadiens organization, but it appears his headaches from a facial injury last season have re-appeared and he is currently on the sideline.

G: Carter Hart (2014-2018)

Stats: 2.01 GAA, .927 %, 116-46-22, 26 SO

Hart is not only the most decorated goaltender in the Silvertips’ franchise history, but one of the most decorated in the history of the WHL as well.

The three-time WHL goaltender of the year and two-time CHL goaltender of the year was a steady and uber-talented presence in the Silvertips’ net for a dominant stretch. Hart’s encore season in 2017-2018, which culminated with a WHL finals run, was his best, as he posted a staggering .947 save percentage and a 1.60 goals-against average.

Hart, a second-round pick by the Flyers in 2017, is one of Everett’s most-beloved hockey figures. It’s probably fair to say the eighth-round bantam pick out Sherwood Park, Alberta, in 2013 turned out all right.

Where are they now: Hart is manning the net for the Flyers and owns a 2.33 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in his second NHL season.

SECOND TEAM

LW: Josh Winquist (2009-2014)

Stats: 101 goals, 216 points, 0.34 GPG, 0.72 PPG, +19

Like many of the other Silvertips on this list, Winquist’s WHL career didn’t begin with a bang.

But it ended with one. That’s for sure.

Winquist’s 47-goal season in 2013-2014 as an overager remains the franchise’s single-season record. The St. Albert, Alberta, native never played on particularly successful teams, but his scoring prowess was evident. The third-round bantam pick is third in Silvertips’ history in points (216) and goals (101).

Where are they now: Winquist is playing for the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL and has recorded five goals and 20 points in 20 games.

C: Riley Sutter (2015-2019)

Stats: 60 goals, 137 points, 0.29 GPG, 0.67 PPG, +38

Part of the famous Sutter hockey family, the son of Ron Sutter put together a decent WHL career.

A fifth-round pick in the bantam draft out of Calgary, Alberta, Sutter landed immediately on the Silvertips’ roster as a 16-year-old in 2016-2017, only for it to end prematurely with an injury.

Sutter was a consistent producer as a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old and developed into a point-per-game player in the 2018-2019 season, only for it to be derailed by another significant lower-body injury.

Injuries hampered his junior career, but Sutter’s talent was never a question. Sutter was a physical center with soft hands around the net. It’s the reason why the Washington Capitals took him in the third round of the 2018 NHL draft.

Where are they now: After signing an entry-level contract with the Capitals last season, Sutter is playing for the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate. Sutter has an assist in six games played.

RW: Bryce Kindopp (2015-Current)

Stats: 94 goals, 164 points, 0.40 GPG, 0.70 PPG, +56

He may be a late bloomer, but Kindopp may end up being one of the most productive forwards in the franchise’s history when his career is over.

Kindopp, who is currently in his overage season as Everett’s captain, has emerged as one of the premier offensive players in the WHL since breaking out with a 39-goal season last year as a 19-year-old. Kindopp is just 18 goals away from tying Patrick Bajkov atop the Silvertips’ career goals leaderboard.

Lauded for his two-way play, Kindopp has been an all-situations player for the past two seasons. A third-round bantam pick out of Lloydminster, Alberta, Kindopp was always held in high regard within the organization.

It came later than others, but Kindopp is proving that Everett’s faith in him was warranted

D: Kevin Davis (2013-2018)

Stats: 26 goals, 175 points, 0.07 GPG, 0.50 PPG, +42

Davis was an undersized, yet dynamic defenseman and a steady presence on Everett’s blueline.

A five-year player in Everett, the first-round bantam pick, No. 11 overall, in the 2012 draft out of Kamloops, British Columbia, turned out to be the slick-skating, puck-moving defenseman they thought they were drafting. Davis slotted into the lineup immediately as a 16-year-old and his 65 points in 2017-2018 as an overager remains the highest-scoring season by a defenseman in Silvertips history.

Above all else, Davis was consistent. His 347 games played are the most in franchise history — a record that won’t be broken anytime soon.

Where are they now: Davis is in his second season in the Colorado Avalanche’s system with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles and the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. He’s played primarily in Utah, where he has scored 10 points in 24 games.

D: Wyatte Wylie (2016-Current)

Stats: 25 goals, 117 points, 0.10 GPG, 0.48 PPG, +52

Snohomish County’s own turned out to be more than just a good story.

He’s a pretty darn good player.

Wylie has been a staple on the blueline ever since the very end of his 16-year-old season. Since then, he’s proven to be a sound defenseman in his own zone with a flair for ambitious outlet passes and plays in the offensive zone. Wylie, a sixth-round bantam pick, was the top defenseman on a defensive corp that ranked as one of the best in the CHL last year.

G: Dustin Wolf (2017-Current)

Stats: 1.85 GAA, .936 %, 71-27-5, 16 SO

Not only is Wolf a no-brainer for the 2010’s Silvertips all-decade team, but there’s also a strong chance he’ll wind up on the 2020s all-decade team, too.

With potentially two-and-a-half more seasons of junior eligibility remaining, Wolf is already one of the top goaltenders in the CHL. Since taking over the reins for Hart in 2018-2019, Wolf, a fourth-round bantam pick out of Tustin, California, shattered every question about his height by posting the best goals-against average (1.69) and save percentage (.936) in the league so far this season.

What’s more, or perhaps scary depending on who you ask, is the best is yet to come for Wolf.

Honorable mentions: Garrett Pilon, Kohl Bauml, Carson Stadnyk, Radko Gudas, Jake Christiansen, Mirco Mueller