Cozens named WHL Eastern Conference Player of the Year

Buffalo Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens (first round, 2019) has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Year by the Western Hockey League.

Cozens was also announced as a nominee for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the league's player of the year. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 20.

Cozens led the Eastern Conference and ranked third in the WHL with an average of 1.67 points per game. He tallied 85 points (38+47) in 51 contests with Lethbridge, surpassing his 2018-19 total despite playing in 17 fewer games.

"Right from the start you could tell he was playing at a different pace than anybody else, especially on our team," Lethbridge coach Brent Kisio told Sabres.com last week. "He was playing at NHL pace and it showed. He came back and led us right away and was a big boost to our hockey club."

Cozens also won gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, where he tallied nine points (2+7) in seven contests.

You can find more on Cozens' season in our Video: Checking In with Dylan Cozens