Lakehead Athletics and Thunderwolves Hockey are very proud to announce that senior goaltender Chris Whitley and sophomore defenseman Jordan C. Smith were named CIS First Team All Canadians it was announced today by the CIS at the mens hockey national championships Awards Banquet held in Moncton, New Brunswick.
This is the first time that two Lakehead Thunderwolves have been named CIS First Team All Canadians in the same season. The most overall in one season was 2004-05 when Joel Scherban was named a First Team All Canadian and Jeff Richards and Erik Lodge were named Second Team All Canadians.
Chris Whitley had another stellar season in the Lakehead goal; returning to his form of the 2005-06 season when he was named CIS Nationals All Tourney goaltender. Whitley led the Wolves from the back and gave the OUA leading Wolves the confidence to play their exciting attacking style of hockey. He made excellent clutch saves and also displayed solid fundamentals of goaltending. His strong play also anchored the Wolves as one of the top defensive units in the OUA. He went undefeated with a 15-0 record and was among the Top 3 in the CIS and OUA in most goaltending stats. He set new Lakehead records for GAA and Save Percentage and wins in a regularseason.
Jordan C. Smith only joined the Wolves halfway through last season and he has very quickly emerged as perhaps the toughest defender in the OUA. He also led the Thunderwolves defense in scoring this season; adding offense to an already excellent defensive game. Smith has become known for his bone jarring open ice body checks on opponents. The former second round draft choice of the Anaheim Ducks has overcome incredible personal adversity, after losing his eye in the American Hockey League, to again become a top hockey player.
Lakehead Head Coach Don McKee said both players are very deserving of this honour. Whitley went through the regular season undefeated, which, as a goaltender, could be described as performing your job to perfection. Chris had such a record and proved to be most consistent player game-in-game-out for the Thunderwolves; his ability to come up with big game winning saves was habitual. Every night he gave his team a chance to win the game and thats exactly what a coach asks of his netminder. As a second year player in CIS hockey, Smith has proven to opposing coaches that he is a complete package. Having lost an eye while playing pro hockey; JC has overcome this challenge and developed excellent communication skills with his teammates and has become one of the best blueliners in the OUA. He thrives on physical play but has proven to be a very effective component while playing with the top scoring line in the OUA.
Lakehead Athletic Director Tom Warden said both players had seasons that made all Lakehead fans proud. Chris Whitley is an outstanding individual and an exceptional athlete. His development as person and as a student over the last four years has been admirable. He is an incredibly hard worker as a Lakehead hockey player and as a Lakehead student and ambassador for our university. Jordan has overcome immense personal challenges over the past few years to develop into an exemplary student-athlete and an extraordinary citizen. He is already a huge fan favourite for the Lakehead fans. I am very proud of both players and congratulate them on winning this prestigious honour.
CIS Mens Hockey First and Second Team All Canadians: 2007-08
Joining Whitley and Smith on the First Team are this years Joseph E. Sullivan Award Winner Rob Hennigar of UNB, Alberta fifth-year defenceman Harlan Anderson of Vernon, B.C., UQTR third-year forward Mathieu Gravel of Greenfield Park, Que., and Calgary first-year forward Jared Aulin of Calgary.
Whitley and Anderson, a second-team CIS all-star in 2006-07, are the OUA and Canada West players of the year, respectively. Whitley kept a