Chilliwack’s Will Kushniryk made his Western Hockey League debut Saturday.
The 17 year old left winger suited up for the Kelowna Rockets in their season opener, a Friday night road game in Kamloops.
Kushniryk’s Rockets won the game 6-2 and he picked up his first WHL point, a second assist on a Kyle Topping snipe.
The six-foot-five and 205 pound forward was back in action Saturday night as Kelowna blew out the Blazers again, this time by a 5-1 count.
Kushniryk picked up the primary assist on Kelowna’s first goal, scored by Vancouver Canucks draft pick Kole Lind and will be in good position to produce if he continues playing alongside Kelowna’s biggest offensive threat. Lind was selected 33rd overall in last June’s National Hockey League entry draft after scoring 30 goals an 87 points in 70 games last season.
A second Chilliwackian was in action on WHL opening weekend as Mackenzie Wight started his season with the Swift Current Broncos.
The 18 year old had two shots but no points in Swift Current’s 5-2 road win over the Saskatoon Blades.
The right winger is in his second season.
Originally a seventh round bantam draft pick of Seattle, Wight played six games for the Thunderbirds last year before being traded to the Broncos for veteran forward Tyler Adams and a conditional pick in 2019.
He totaled one goal in 18 regular season games and scored another goal in 12 playoff outings.
Wight’s team is in Brandon Saturday night to face the Wheat Kings while Kushniryk’s crew hosts the Everett Silvertips tonight (Friday).
Track both players online at whl.ca