Haven Wiebe and Cassius Walker from the Niverville Panthers high school hockey team recently earned some league-wide recognition for their fantastic play this season in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League (WHSHL).
Cassius Walker was selected as a Second Team All-Star at the banquet. He is viewed as one of the top 10 players in his division. During the regular season, he ranked seventh in scoring with 26 goals and 30 assists. He used his speed and hockey sense to lead the division in short-handed goals, with four.
During the Panthers’ playoff run, he scored 10 goals and one assist in five games, ranking him ninth in the division in scoring.
Wiebe’s teammates voted him to receive the $500 Travis Price Hockey Spirit Scholarship Award, feeling that Haven embodied the following qualities: a hard-working member of the team who spreads joy and loves life; a leader who works hard, plays hard, and has a healthy balance between work and play; someone who’s honest, of good character, enjoys learning new things, is a friend to all, and is a bonding agent for the team; and someone who encourages and assists teammates to get along with each other rather than focus on differences and conflict.
During the regular season, Wiebe put up 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points. He also led the Panthers with four power play goals.
An injury kept Wiebe out of the playoffs and his presence was certainly missed by his team.
Walker and Wiebe each scored a goal and an assist while subbing in for the Junior C Niverville Clippers during the regular season against the Landmark Blues. They shared Player of the Game honours and received pucks to celebrate their first HTJHL goals.
The pair also represented the Panthers at the WHSHL all-star game in March. They played on a line together and scored a goal apiece, helping their team to a 6–5 win.
“Cassius and Haven were both very important players for our team this year,” says Niverville Panthers head coach Brandon Lockerby. “They are both strong team players and were leaders for us all season.”