There are forwards in the WHL who didn't score 45 goals this season. Bryce Pickford did it from defence.
The Medicine Hat Tigers captain wrapped up his final WHL season this week by sweeping the league's two biggest individual awards Player of the Year and Defenceman of the Year. He's the first Tiger to win both in the same year since Kris Russell did it in 2007, and only the fifth player in WHL history to sweep both trophies in the same season.
But the awards aren't even the most remarkable part.
A Record That Stood for 38 Years
Pickford's 45 goals are the most scored by a WHL defenceman in a single season since Greg Hawgood registered 48 during the 1987-88 campaign. Hawgood's record has survived every generation of WHL hockey for nearly four decades. Pickford came within three goals of breaking it entirely.
He finished with 83 points 45 goals and 38 assists and a plus-55 rating in 55 games. His goal total tied for second among every skater in the entire WHL, despite playing 17 fewer games than the league's scoring leader.
He led the whole league in power play goals with 19. His 11 game-winning goals tied for first overall. He scored three hat tricks during the regular season. He is, again, a defenceman.
From Chauvin to Montreal
Pickford grew up in Chauvin a small town of roughly 300 people about two hours east of Edmonton. He came up through the WHL with Seattle before Medicine Hat acquired him ahead of the 2024-25 season. He won a WHL championship with the Tigers last year, came back with the captaincy, and proceeded to have one of the greatest individual seasons a blue-liner has ever put together in this league.
Montreal drafted him 81st overall in 2025 and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract in December. He isn't a can't-miss NHL star on paper scouts project him as a power play contributor at the NHL level eventually, but realistically a standout offensive defenceman in the AHL first. A third-round pick who just put up numbers like this will get every opportunity to prove those projections wrong.
With the Tigers eliminated from the playoffs on May 3, Pickford is now eligible to join the Laval Rocket or the Canadiens for the remainder of their season. His WHL career is almost certainly done.
Tigers Also Add a Familiar Name at the Draft
Medicine Hat made another notable move this week at the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft. With the 21st overall pick, the Tigers selected Max Osgood son of former Tigers goaltender Chris Osgood. The elder Osgood played three seasons in Medicine Hat from 1989 to 1992 before going on to win three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Max, 15, posted 15 goals and 43 points in just 20 games this past season with the Detroit Little Caesars U14 AAA program.
The Osgood name is back in the Hat. Fitting week for it.
Sources:
Western Hockey League — whl.ca Medicine Hat Tigers — chl.ca/whl-tigers Montreal Canadiens — nhl.com/canadiens
