Junior: Bryce Pickford is Canada’s Defenseman of the Year

Marc-Olivier Cook
Junior: Bryce Pickford is Canada’s Defenseman of the Year
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

Bryce Pickford's name is starting to become more and more familiar among Montreal Canadiens fans.

And if you've been following his season, you'll understand why I'm saying this.

The defenseman, after all, had a truly sensational season in the WHL. And today, he's (once again) being recognized for his achievements.

Pickford was named Defenseman of the Year in the Canadian Hockey League, which includes the QMJHL, the WHL, and the OHL. That means Pickford was the best defenseman in Canada for the 2025-26 season… and that's worth celebrating.

Because that's not the only title he's won for his brilliant season:

  • Defenseman of the Year in the WHL
  • WHL Player of the Year
  • CHL Defenseman of the Year

It doesn't get much better than that!

Good for the young man.

His 45 goals (and 38 assists) in just 55 games caught everyone's attention, and seeing him earn a major award like this is impressive.

Because let's face it: before the start of the WHL season, Pickford wasn't necessarily being talked about as a guy who was going to blow everyone away in junior hockey. He flew a bit under the radar and has shown truly spectacular progress as well.

You don't always expect a third-round pick to explode like this, even in junior hockey. And that's another reason why his season deserves even more attention.

That must be music to the Canadiens' front office…

The question now is: will we see Pickford at the Canadiens' training camp in September? Kent Hughes wants to improve his team this summer, and perhaps Pickford's name will come up in some discussions—which would make sense given the season he just had.

It remains to be seen whether he could be part of a trade to acquire another key player, because the defenseman's value is higher than ever right now…


In a nutshell

– Well done.

– It's up to you to answer that.

– The dream!

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