Ducks prospect Zellweger named WHL Player of the Week – Kamloops Blazers
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Kamloops Blazers defenceman Olen Zellweger has been named WHL Player of the Week for the week ending April 23, 2023.
The Anaheim Ducks prospect, who led all WHL skaters with nine points (3G-6A) from his two games played this past week, tied a WHL Playoffs record for points in a game by a defenceman with seven (3G-4A) Thursday, April 20 at Portland.
The product of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. began his week with two assists Wednesday, April 19 as the Blazers upended the Winterhawks 3-2 in Game 3 of their Second Round series.
The following evening, the 19-year-old became the first WHL defenceman to score a post-season hat-trick in 14 years, adding four assists as part of his record-tying evening as Kamloops won their series with Portland with a 10-4 triumph.
Zellweger earned First Star honours in Thursday’s contest.
In eight post-season appearances this spring, the 5-foot-10, 182-pound rearguard sits tied for the League lead in points, compiling 21 on the strength of seven goals and 14 assists.
Zellweger was originally selected by the Everett Silvertips in the second round of the 2018 WHL Draft and acquired by the Blazers in January of 2023; in 194 WHL regular season and playoff appearances, he has totalled 213 points (59G-154A).
He was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and signed an entry-level contract with the NHL Club in August of 2021.
Olen Zellweger and the Kamloops Blazers will face the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2023 WHL Western Conference Championship presented by Nutrien, with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday, April 29 (6:05 p.m. PT, accesso ShoWare Center).
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 consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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 over 50 years. The WHL is also the 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.