Just 6 penalty minutes gives Surrey’s Gavin a 3rd most-sportsmanlike nod in WHL
Published 1:00 pm Thursday, April 2, 2026
Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jordan Gavin was given just six minutes in penalties this season in the WHL, earning him a third Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy nomination for the junior hockey league’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.
The South Surreyite, 19, is among three Eastern Conference finalists for the 2026 award, along with Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes (Prince Albert Raiders) and Osoyoos-raised centre Markus Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers).
Western Conference finalists are Finnish player Matias Vanhanen (Everett Silvertips), former Surrey Eagles forward Ryden Evers (Penticton Vees) and Los Angeles-raised Alex Weiermair (Portland Winterhawks).
Surrey’s Gavin scored 58 points (16 goals, 42 assists) in 68 games this season, but he’s probably best known for staying out of the penalty box. He’s amassed only 10 penalty minutes over his entire WHL career dating back to 2021-22, after selected by Tri-City Americans in the first round (second overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. In 275 WHL regular-season games, the 5-foot-11 Gavin has 239 points (83 goals, 156 assists).
Winners of WHL awards will be announced between April 21 and May 6. Finalists are voted upon by general managers in the league.
The Most Sportsmanlike Player award is named for Regina Pats player Brad Hornung, widely known for his “talent, desire and unmistakable sportsmanlike attitude,” the WHL says. He was paralyzed following a collision in a game in Regina on March 1, 1987, “but remained deeply engrained in hockey and the WHL until his passing in 2022.”