Ducks Prospects Earn Several CHL Season Awards

Ducks prospects have claimed multiple major Canadian Hockey League awards over the last couple of weeks, with the potential to still add more to the season's trophy case.

Tristan Luneau was named the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year today, (Émile-Bouchard Trophy), the first Ducks prospect to win the award. Yesterday, Tyson Hinds was named the QMJHL Best Defensive Defenseman (Kevin Lowe Memorial Trophy). Last week, Nathan Gaucher was named the QMJHL Best Defensive Forward (Guy Carbonneau Trophy).

Olen Zellweger was named a finalist for the WHL Defenseman of the Year (Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy), with the winner announced Wednesday, May 10. Pavel Mintyukov is a candidate for OHL Defenseman of the Year (Max Kaminsky Trophy) after leading all CHL defenseman in points (24-64=88) while leading all OHL defenseman in points and assists, and tied for second in goals.
The Ducks are the first team since 2014-15 (eight years) to have a prospect win both the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and Defensive Defenseman of the Year in the same season, the first organization with two prospects to win the respective awards. Kris Letang (Pittsburgh prospect in 2006-07), David Savard (Columbus prospect in 2009-10) and Jann Kostalek (Winnipeg prospect in 2014-15) each won both awards in the same season.
Gaucher is the first player in QMJHL history to win both the Guy Carbonneau (2023) and Mike Bossy (Best Professional Prospect, 2022) awards. In 2021-22, Zellweger was named the WHL Defenseman of the Year. He can become the fifth player in WHL history to win the award in consecutive seasons.

Prospect statistics:
Luneau was named to QMJHL First All-Star Team after he led all QMJHL defenseman in points (20-63=83) and assists, ranked second in goals and fourth in plus/minus (+49). In the QMJHL Playoffs, he currently ranks second among QMJHL defensemen in points (2-11=13) and assists.
Hinds ranked second among QMJHL skaters and led QMJHL defensemen in plus/minus (+61) in 2022-23. He ranked eight among QMJHL defensemen in points (11-43=54), tied for eighth in assists and tied for 10th in goals.
Gaucher ranked second among all QMJHL skaters in FOW% (59.4) and recorded 22-24=46 points in 44 games. He currently ranks second among Quebec Remparts playoff leaders in points (5-5=10) and is tied for second in goals.
Zellweger was named to the WHL First All-Star Team (B.C. Division) this season, leading all WHL defenseman in goals and points per game (1.45, scoring 32-48=80 points). He currently co-leads the WHL Playoffs in points among all skaters (7-14=21), and leads all league defensemen in points, goals and assists. He was named WHL Player of the Week for the week ending April 23, recording 3-6=9 points in two playoff games, including a seven-point performance (3-4=7) April 20, tying the WHL playoff record for single-game points by a defenseman (also Darryl Sydor in 1991).
Gaucher, Hinds, Luneau (QMJHL), Zellweger (WHL) and Sasha Pastujov (OHL) will all begin their respective league semifinal series this weekend.