Bouchard named WHL Grad of the Month for November/December
Second year MRU forward leads Canada West in scoring
Dec. 18, 2023 – After a scintillating start to his Canada West season, Mount Royal University's Connor Bouchard has been named the conference's Western Hockey League Grad of the Month for November/December.
After a strong rookie campaign in which he scored 35 points in 25 games last season, the Cochrane, Alta. product has taken another leap forward in his second year with the Cougars. He currently leads the conference in scoring at the semester break with 16 goals and 20 assists over 16 games, giving him a nine point cushion atop the CW scoring lead.
In addition to scoring at a remarkable goal-per-game pace, his 2.50 points-per-game is also 0.75 points-per-game higher than the next highest mark.
Bouchard has continued to show the dynamic playmaking ability that made him a fan favourite over his five-year WHL career, where he played 262 career games with the Tri-City Americans. He accumulated 133 points over his WHL career, including 97 assists.
His playmaking ability has been the driving force behind the Cougars' strong 13-5 record to start the season, which has them in the hunt for top spot in the conference. He was unstoppable once the calendar flipped to November, as he accumulated 23 points in the final ten games of the fall semester. That included an impressive eight point weekend against the University of Saskatchewan on Dec. 1 and 2, helping the Cougars sweep an important road series against the Huskies.
After being held pointless in the Cougars' opening game of the season, Bouchard has found the scoresheet in every game since and will enter next semester on an impressive 15-game point scoring streak.
Bouchard is a Physical Literacy student who is utilizing his WHL Scholarship to attend Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alta. For each season played in the WHL, a player is awarded with a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which includes tuition, compulsory fees, and required textbooks. In partnership with Canada West universities, numerous WHL Scholarship recipients each year are also awarded additional financial assistance from their university to receive Western Canada’s Premier Hockey Scholarship.
Since 1993, the WHL has awarded over 7,500 scholarships to graduate players. The WHL is the leading supplier of hockey scholarships in Western Canada and offers one of the most comprehensive scholarships in North America.
WHL Grad of the Month
The WHL Grad of the Month is a partnership between the WHL and Canada West. CW coaches vote to select the winner each month. All nominees must have played at least one full season in the WHL and be in good standing in Canada West.
About Canada West
As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.