Lethbridge forward ADAM CHORNEYKO voted Canada West Men’s Hockey HUSKY-WHL Graduate of the Month
February 5, 2010 []
EDMONTON - The Canada West Universities Athletic Association and the Western Hockey League are pleased to announce that forward ADAM CHORNEYKO of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns has been named the Canada West men’s hockey Husky-WHL Graduate of the Month for January 2010.
A freshman winger out of St. Albert, Alberta, CHORNEYKO, is the third winner of the award for 2009-10 and first from the Pronghorns to win the award this season, the 21st year of HUSKY-WHL awards. The award is presented monthly to a graduate of the Western Hockey League who is playing on one of the seven CWUAA teams. Each winner, between October and March, receives a cheque for $500.00 from the WHL to go towards the cost of his education and a gift from HUSKY.
A total of 106 WHL grads are members of CWUAA teams in 2009-10, with another 34 scholarship recipients currently attending Canada West schools. The CIS and Canada West men’s hockey in particular have allowed these players to further their careers as well as their education at some of Canada’s finest academic institutions.
During the month of January, the 6’1’’, 210-pound forward led the ’Horns to a 5-1 record, recording 12 points in six games and helping to vault Lethbridge back into the playoff picture.
After a 1-0 loss to the No. 7-ranked Manitoba Bisons to kickoff the New Year on January 8, the ’Horns rattled off five straight wins, starting with a 6-4 win over the Bisons in which Chorneyko scored twice and was named the game’s First Star. The following Friday CHORNEYKO scored the overtime game-winner against Calgary and was again the First Star. In the team’s final two January games, the Kinesiology major had a short-handed goal as Lethbridge defeated UBC 5-2 on January 22 and he had his best CIS game to date when he scored a hat trick and added two helpers for five points during an 8-0 win over the Thunderbirds on the 23rd, again earning recognition as the night’s First Star. CHORNEYKO was also a plus-12 during the month.
Lethbridge now sits in fifth place, four points behind Calgary with a pair of games in-hand as they pursue the fourth and final Canada West playoff spot.
Once a member of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers (2004-06), Lethbridge Hurricanes (2006-09) and more recently the Saskatoon Blades (2008-09), CHORNEYKO has moved into ninth overall in the conference scoring race with 13 goals, 11 assists and 24 points. The 21-year-old is second among rookies, trailing only Alberta’s Sean Ringrose, who has 27 points.
CHORNEYKO’s award marks the 11th time a member of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns has won the Husky-WHL Grad of the Month and first since goaltender Scott Bowles took honours in November 2008.
CHORNEYKO played four full seasons in the WHL and part of another. Teammates included current Edmonton Oiler netminder Devan Dubnyk, Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg, Zach Boychuk of the Carolina Hurricanes and Canada West stars such the Calgary Dinos’ Aaron Richards and Brock Nixon. In 250 career WHL regular season contests, CHORNEYKO picked up 35 goals and 75 assists for 110 points, to go with another 5-4-9 in 25 playoff games.
CHONEYKO was one of two nominees for the January’s Canada West WHL award, edging out Alberta forward Derek Ryan in a coaches poll. Coaches rank each nominee, first to last, but may not put in a vote for their own team’s nominee.
“HUSKY, proud sponsor of the WHL Education Program & the Canada West men’s hockey – WHL Graduate of the Month”
