With the conclusion of the CHL regular season, Anaheim prospects were the top point or goal scorers among defensemen in each Canadian Hockey League (OHL, QMJHL and WHL) this season. Ducks prospects also led the OHL and QMJHL in points, the WHL in goals and the QMJHL in plus/minus.
Prospect Primer: Four Ducks Defensemen Complete Historic CHL Seasons
Pavel Mintyukov (OHL, 24-64=88 points) and Tristan Luneau (QMJHL, 20-63=83) led their respective leagues in points and assists, while Olen Zellweger (WHL, 32-48=80) and Mintyukov led in goals. Tyson Hinds also led all QMJHL blueliners with a +61 rating.
Four Ducks prospects (all defensemen) had historic seasons:
Olen Zellweger's 32 goals were the most by a WHL defenseman since 2011-12 (Brad Ross, 42), while has the two highest points per game seasons by a WHL blueliner since 1992-93, with his 1.45 points per game this season and 1.42 mark in 2021-22. He is the only WHL defenseman since 2000-01 with consecutive 75-point seasons after scoring 78 points in 2021-22.
Pavel Mintyukov's 88 points were the most by an OHL defenseman in nine years (Tony DeAngelo, 89 in 2014-15) and the third-most since 1998-99 (DeAngelo and Ryan Ellis 100 in 2010-11 and 89 in 2008-09). He became the first defenseman in the OHL's 90-year history to be named OHL Defenseman of the Month three consecutive times (October, November, December).
Tristan Luneau's 83 points are the most by a QMJHL defenseman since 2013-14 (Guillaume Gelinas, 92), and he is one of eight QMJHL blueliners to score 20 goals in a season the last 10 years.
Tyson Hinds led all QMJHL blueliners with a +61 rating this season, the highest in 20 seasons (since 2002-03) and the fifth-best plus/minus by a QMJHL defenseman all-time. It's also the second-best plus/minus all-time by a QMJHL defenseman 19 or younger, trailing only Maxime Fortunus' +62 in 2002-03.
PROSPECT PRIMER:
Eight of Anaheim's prospects are currently at or above a point-per-game pace, including RW Sasha Pastujov (1.63), D Olen Zellweger (1.45), D Pavel Mintyukov (1.28), D Tristan Luneau (1.28), RW Ben King (1.17), LW Connor Hvidston (1.10), C Nathan Gaucher (1.05) and D Jackson LaCombe (1.00).
Pavel Mintyukov (OHL, 24-64=88 points) and Tristan Luneau (QMJHL, 20-63=83) led their respective leagues in points and assists, while Olen Zellweger (WHL, 32-48=80) and Mintyukov led in goals. Tyson Hinds also led all QMJHL blueliners with a +61 rating, the highest plus/minus among QMJHL D in 20 seasons (since 2002-03) and fifth-best plus/minus by a QMJHL D all-time. All three of Mintyukov (OHL), Zellweger (WHL) and Luneau (QMJHL) are the highest scoring defensemen in their respective leagues over the last two seasons in points and goals.
Defenseman Olen Zellweger (ANA 2nd round, 34th overall in 2021) led all WHL defensemen in goals (32) and ranked second in points (32-48=80) this season, the sixth defensemen in the WHL to reach 30 goals since 1996-97 (first since 2016-17). He also led all CHL defensemen in goals this season. Since the start of 2021-22, Zellweger led all CHL defensemen in points (46-112=158), goals and assists.
Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (ANA 1st round, 10th overall in 2022) led all CHL defensemen with 24-64=88 points this season, the only OHL defensemen to rank in the top-25 in league scoring. He ranked 14th among all OHL skaters in points, while he was fourth in assists and eighth in plus/minus (+33). He is second among all CHL defensemen in goals (41) since the start of last season and his 41-109=150 points rank second behind only Olen Zellweger (46-112=158).
Defenseman Tristan Luneau (ANA 2nd round, 53rd overall in 2022) was the only defenseman in the QMJHL to lead his club in points (18 total teams), while also pacing all QMJHL defensemen in points (20-63=83) and assists, while he ranked second in goals and was fourth in plus/minus (+49). With a three-point game Mar. 19 for Gatineau (1-2=3), Luneau reached 19-60=79 points on the season, setting the Gatineau Olympiques all-time record for points by a defenseman in a single season. He also led all QMJHL defensemen in points (32-94=126) and assists since the start of 2021-22. Luneau co-leads Gatineau in all-time points per game by a defenseman (.91) and his career 36-108=144 points are fifth-most in club history.
Defenseman Tyson Hinds (ANA 3rd round, 76th overall in 2021) completed the QMJHL regular season with 11-43=54 points in 56 games, sixth among league defensemen in points per game (.96), eighth in points and assists, and tied for 10th in goals.
Defenseman Jackson LaCombe (ANA 2nd round, 39th overall in 2019) has helped the University of Minnesota to the 2023 Frozen Four, recording 9-26=35 points in 35 games this season. Among NCAA defensemen, he ranks third in points, tied for seventh in assists and tied for eighth in goals. He has already set new career highs in points and goals, and is one assist from matching a career best in assists set last season. He leads Golden Gopher blueliners in points, goals and assists this season, while he has increased his point total each of his four seasons, leading Minnesota D in points the last three campaigns.
Right wing Sasha Pastujov (ANA 3rd round, 66th overall in 2021) completed his second OHL season with 40-58=98 points with a +25 rating. After scoring 34 goals in 2021-22, Pastujov is one of three OHL players to score 34-plus goals in each of the last two seasons at age 18 and 19 (also Tucker Robertson, Peterborough and Francesco Arcuri, Kingston and Kitchener). Among OHL leaders, he ranked fourth in points, tied for sixth in assists and tied for ninth in goals.
Center Nathan Gaucher (ANA 1st round, 22nd overall in 2022) collected 22-24=46 points with a +35 rating in 44 games, averaging 1.05 points per game. Gaucher ranked second among all QMJHL skaters in FOW% (59.4) with a minimum of 200 faceoffs, winning 443 of 746 draws for Quebec. Gaucher helped the Remparts to the QMJHL's top record at 53-12-3 (.801%).
Left wing Connor Hvidston (ANA 5th round, 139th overall in 2022) scored 21-44=65 points with a +15 rating in 59 games for Swift Current, ranking second among club leaders in points per game (1.10), assists, plus/minus, and third in points. He also led the Broncos in SHG (3). Hvidston set career bests in points, goals, assists and plus/minus after he more than doubled his point output from last season (13-19=32 points in 58 games).
Frozen Four NCAA Schedule:
Minnesota (Jackson LaCombe) vs. Boston University - Thursday, April 6 (2 p.m. PT, ESPN2)
Frozen Four Final (winner of Minnesota-Boston University and Michigan-Quinnipiac) - Saturday, April 8 (5 p.m. PT, ESPN2)
The CHL Playoffs begin this Thursday, March 30 with 10 Ducks prospects representing their teams:
OHL Playoffs:
Ottawa (Pavel Mintyukov) vs. Oshawa - Thursday, March 30 (4 p.m. PT)
Sarnia (Sasha Pastujov) vs. Guelph - Friday, March 31 (4:05 p.m. PT)
QMJHL Playoffs:
Gatineau (Tristan Luneau, Noah Warren) vs. Saint John - Friday, March 31 (4 p.m. PT)
Quebec (Nathan Gaucher) vs Charlottetown - Friday, March 31 (4 p.m. PT)
Sherbrook (Tyson Hinds) vs. Blainville-Boisbriand - Friday, March 31 (4 p.m. PT)
WHL Playoffs:
Calgary (Sean Tschigerl) at Red Deer (Ben King) - Friday, March 31 (6 p.m. PT)
Kamloops (Olen Zellweger) vs. Vancouver - Friday, March 31 (7 p.m. PT)
Prince George (Jaxsen Wiebe) vs. Tri-City - Friday, March 31 (7 p.m. PT)
