Landon DuPont became the first rookie defenseman to reach 50 points in a WHL season since 1989-90 on Sunday, when he tallied an assist for the Everett Silvertips in a 5-4 overtime win against the Kamloops Blazers. The 15-year-old, who is just the second player to be granted exceptional status in WHL history, has 12 goals and 38 points in 47 games this season.
The last rookie WHL defenseman to have a 50-point season was Scott Niedermayer 35 years ago. The eventual Hockey Hall of Famer finished with 14 goals and 69 points in 64 games with the same Blazers team DuPont and the Silvertips defeated on Sunday. In fact, the first overall pick Everett used to select DuPont in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft was acquired via Kamloops at the WHL Trade Deadline last year.
After scoring four points (one goal, three assists) in four games this week and reaching the rare milestone, DuPont was named WHL Rookie of the Week on Monday. It’s the second time the Calgary, Alta. native earned a weekly honor, with the first coming on Sept. 30, to go with his two Rookie of the Month honors from September/October and December.
DuPont and the WHL-leading Silvertips (36-8-4-3, 79 points) return to action on Friday when they face Kamloops again, just five days after DuPont eclipsed the 50-point benchmark.
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