Thursday, April 15, 2010

Cunningham named WHL Western Conference Player of the Year

Press Release

Calgary, AB - The Western Hockey League today announced the WHL Western Conference finalist for the 2009-10 WHL Player of the Year. The two finalists for WHL Player of the Year were determined through voting by General Managers, coaches, broadcast and media representatives of all WHL Member Clubs.

In the WHL's Western Conference, which includes the B.C. and U.S. Divisions, the Player of the Year Nominee is forward Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants.

Cunningham enjoyed a tremendous season with the Giants, leading them to a fifth straight B.C. Division title and their fifth straight season with 40 or more victories. The 19-year-old from Trail, B.C., scored 37 goals and added 60 assists for 97 points in 72 games, placing him sixth in the WHL regular-season scoring race. His 37 goals tied him for 12th among all WHL players while his 60 assists put him fifth among all players.

Cunningham recorded points in 57 of the 72 games he played this season, enjoyed multiple-point efforts on 27 occasions, and was selected among the 3 Stars 18 times. The 5’10”, 179-lb forward finished fourth among Giants’ players with 13 power play goals this season and finished second on the team with two shorthanded tallies. In addition, Cunningham scored seven game-winning goals, tying him for 12th among all WHL players.

In his fourth season in the WHL with the Giants, Cunningham is the second member of the Giants in the last two years to be named the WHL Western Conference finalist for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, joining Casey Pierro-Zabotel who was the finalist in 2008-09. Cunningham, a free agent, was the Giants’ seventh-round pick (129th overall) in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft.

The recipients of all WHL individual awards will be announced at the 2010 WHL Awards Luncheon, which will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, at the Fantasyland Hotel on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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