Silvertips’ Hart named the WHL’s top player, goaltender

Carter Hart has long been the best goaltender in the WHL. Now he’s been recognized as the best player, regardless of position.

The Everett Silvertips goaltender was the big winner at the WHL’s awards ceremony held Wednesday afternoon in Red Deer, Alberta, picking up both the Four Broncos Trophy as the league’s Player of the Year and the Del Wilson Trophy as the league’s Goaltender of the Year.

Hart is the first Everett player ever to be named the Player of the Year, and he is the first player from any team ever to win the Goaltender of the Year three times.

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Everett had one other award winner as general manager Garry Davidson won the Lloyd Saunders Trophy as the league’s Executive of the Year.

The awards were voted on by team officials and coaches and media members.

Hart had a season for the ages in 2017-18. The 19-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta, was 31-6-1-3 with a 1.60 goals against average and .947 save percentage. Statistically he lapped the field, as Portland’s Cole Kehler was second in goals against average at 2.77 and Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse was second in save percentage at .914.

Hart beat out Moose Jaw’s Jayden Halbgewachs, the Eastern Conference nominee who was the league’s first 70-goal scorer in 20 years, for the Player of the Year award. Hart topped Lethbridge’s Logan Flodell for the Goaltender of the Year award, which he also won in 2016 and 2017.

Davidson, Everett’s general manager since February of 2012, assembled the roster that’s advanced to the WHL championships series. His biggest move was acquiring winger Garrett Pilon and defenseman Ondrej Vala from Kamloops in exchange for a package of young players, prospects and draft picks. He also picked up several depth players to supplement the roster.

Davidson beat out Moose Jaw’s Alan Miller for the honor.

Everett finished as the runner-up in two categories. Coach Dennis Williams lost out to Swift Current’s Manny Viveiros for the Dunc McCallum Trophy as Coach of the Year, and the Tips lost out to the Edmonton Oil Kings for the Business Award.