NEWS | Benson, McClennon, Hauser & Zloty Named to 2022-23 East Division First All-Star Team

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the East Division First All-Star Team for the 2022-23 WHL season.

WHL Division All-Stars are voted upon by WHL General Managers.

WHL East Division First All-Star Team

Goaltender – Daniel Hauser (Chestermere, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE
Defenceman – Stanislav Svozil (Prerov, Czechia) – Regina Pats
Defenceman – Benjamin Zloty (Calgary, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE
Forward – Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Regina Pats
Forward – Zach Benson (Chilliwack, B.C.) – Winnipeg ICE
Forward – Connor McClennon (Wainwright, Alta.) – Winnipeg ICE

WHL East Division First All-Star Team Biographies

Goaltender Daniel Hauser (Winnipeg ICE): The 19-year-old set an ICE franchise record for wins in a single season with 37 and led all Eastern Conference netminders in victories. From Chestermere, Alta., Hauser finished fourth in the WHL with a 2.28 goals-against average and fifth among League goaltenders with a .917 save percentage. The 5-foot-11, 156-pound puck-stopper was named WHL Goaltender of the Week on two occasions this season, most recently in January. In 90 career WHL contests with Winnipeg, he owns a 78-7-3-0 record to go along with a 2.23 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and 10 shutouts.

Defenceman Stanislav Svozil (Regina Pats): The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect finished third among WHL defencemen in scoring, totalling 78 points (11G-67A) for the Pats while leading all League blueliners with 39 power-play points. The product of Prerov, Czechia captained his home country to a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. The 20-year-old enjoyed a four-game run of multi-point efforts from February 25 through March 5, which capped off a 10-game point streak. The 6-foot-1, 182-pound blueliner has earned 119 points (21G-98A) from his 115 games with the Regina Pats.

Defenceman Benjamin Zloty (Winnipeg ICE): The 21-year-old set a franchise record for points in a season by a defenceman and led all WHL blueliners with 81 points (13G-68A) during the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season. Zloty, who hails from Calgary, Alta., collected 22 multi-point games, scoring at least three points in a contest seven times for the Regular Season Champion ICE while also finishing third in the WHL with a +67 rating. The 6-foot-0, 180-pound defenceman has appeared in 207 WHL regular season contests, totalling 189 points (26G-163A).

Forward Connor Bedard (Regina Pats): The top-ranked North American Skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term Rankings, Bedard captured the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s Top Scorer with 143 points (71G-72A). His 71 goals were the most in the League by a 21-goal margin, while his 143 points were 36 better than the closest WHL skater; the North Vancouver, B.C. product became the first WHL player in 26 years to record 140 or more points in a season, a campaign that included a 35-game point streak. The 17-year-old’s campaign was accented by nine hat-tricks and he scored five or more points in a game on 10 occasions. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward, who has served as Pats captain during the 2022-23 WHL season, has amassed 271 points (134G-137A) in 134 games.

Forward Zach Benson (Winnipeg ICE): Ranked #5 among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Benson finished third in League scoring with 98 points on the strength of a career-best 36 goals and 62 assists. Hailing from Chilliwack, B.C., Benson scored three hat-tricks this season, the most recent of which came February 26 at Edmonton as part of a six-point effort. The 17-year-old’s +68 rating led all WHL forwards, and he was named WHL Player of the Week on two occasions over the course of the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season. The 5-foot-10, 159-pound forward has accrued 181 points (71G-110A) in 142 regular season games since being selected 14th-overall by the ICE in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.

Forward Connor McClennon (Winnipeg ICE): The product of Wainwright, Alta. set personal bests with 46 goals and 92 points for Winnipeg during the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season, his fifth full campaign with the ICE since being selected second-overall in the 2017 WHL Draft. The 20-year-old finished eighth in League scoring and was the lone Winnipeg skater to reach double-digits in power-play goals this season, finishing the campaign with 16 man-advantage markers. His eight game-winning goals stood for a share of the team lead. The 5-foot-8, 164-pound forward has totalled 284 points (138G-146A) from his 243 WHL regular season appearances.