The WHL Western Conference All-Star team was selected by a panel of three WHL General Managers from teams which had the best record at the 30 game mark in the 2001-02 WHL schedule. The selection committee consisted of Ken Hodge of the Portland Winter Hawks, Mike Moore of the Kamloops Blazers and Tim Speltz of the Spokane Chiefs.
Mike Williamson of the Portland Winter Hawks will be the Head Coach of the team while Dean Evason of the Kamloops Blazers is the Assistant Coach.
“We have selected a good mix of highly competitive players that take a lot of pride in what they do and Dean Evason and I are very excited to work with this great group of talented hockey players. I know the players will do an excellent job in representing the Western Conference and the Western Hockey League,” stated Mike Williamson, Head Coach of the WHL’s Western Conference All-Star Team.
The team includes five members of Canada’s Silver Medal National Junior Team (Jared Aulin, Kamloops Blazers; Dan Hamhuis, Prince George Cougars, Chuck Kobasew, Kelowna Rockets; Jarret Stoll, Kootenay Ice and Scottie Upshall, Kamloops Blazers).
“We are looking forward to our top players in the WHL’s Western Conference participating in this highly competitive interlocking all-star format against our Quebec League counterparts,” stated Ron Robison, Commissioner of the WHL. “It will provide us with a rare opportunity to see many of the finest hockey players in action,” he continued.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Dilio Conference All-Stars that will host the WHL’s Western Conference All-Stars will include the current top three scorers from the QMJHL (Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 1st – 89 Pts; Tied for 2nd Charles Linglet and Yanick Lehoux from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar – 85 Pts).
Head Coach of the QMJHL’s Dilio Conference All-Stars is Réal Paiement from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the assistant-coach is Alain Rajotte from the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
The Hershey Cup CHL All-Star Series is a three-game interlocking series involving the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The OHL’s Eastern Conference All-Stars lost to the QMJHL’s Lebel Conference All-Stars 4-2 on Wednesday January 16, 2002 at the Civic Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The WHL game will be held in Red Deer, Alberta on Wednesday January 23, 2002 with the WHL’s Eastern Conference All-Stars hosting the OHL’s Western Conference All-Stars. The final game of the Hershey Cup CHL All-Star Series will have the QMJHL Dilio Conference All-Stars host the WHL’s Western Confernce All-Stars in Rimouski, Quebec on Wednesday, February 6, 2002.
WHL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Goaltenders
Bendera, Shane Kelowna Rockets
Thompson, Billy Prince George Cougars
Defencemen
Dicaire, Gerard Kootenay Ice
Hamhuis, Dan Prince George Cougars
Hope, Joey Portland Winter Hawks
Morrisonn, Shaone Kamloops Blazers
Sauer, Kurt Spokane Chiefs
Weller, Craig Kootenay Ice
Forwards
Aulin, Jared Kamloops Blazers
Balej, Joe Portland Winter Hawks
Cote, Brandin Spokane Chiefs
Foster, Aaron Prince George Cougars
Gaustad, Paul Portland Winter Hawks
Johansson, Eric Tri-City Americans
Johner, Dustin Seattle Thunderbirds
Kobasew, Chuck Kelowna Rockets
McLeod, Kyle Kelowna Rockets
Stoll, Jarret Kootenay Ice
Svatos, Marek Kootenay Ice
Upshall, Scottie Kamloops Blazers
QMJHL DILIO CONFERENCE
Goaltenders
Dallaire, Danny Halifax Mooseheads
Russo, Adam Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Defencemen
Cote, Jean Philippe Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Durak, Miroslav Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Johnson, Aaron Rimouski Oceanic
Malec, Thomas Rimouski Oceanic
Sandford, James Monton Wildcats
St-Pierre, Carl Quebec Remparts
Forwards
Bouchard, Pierre-Marc Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Ferland, Jonathan Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Filion, Oliver Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Fournier, Carl Acadie-Bathurst Titan
King, Jason Halifax Mooseheads
Larrivee, Christian Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Lehoux, Yanick Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Linglet, Charles Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Ouellet, Michel Rimouski Oceanic
Parenteau, Pierre-Alexandre Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Plourde, Jean-Francois Rimouski Oceanic
Tessier, Michael Acadie-Bathurst
Titan
