Exceptional player Landon DuPont got on the board in his WHL debut Saturday.
The 15-year-old defenceman recorded an assist, four shots and a plus-two rating in the Everett Silvertips’ 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Giants.
He also had a goal and three points over three pre-season games.
In Saturday’s game, DuPont fed Carter Bear with a stretch pass which Bear then buried for a goal with a swift breakaway move.
The Calgary native was the second player in WHL history to be granted exceptional status earlier this year, allowing him to enter the league one year early. The Silvertips then selected the five-foot-11 right-shot defender first overall in the draft.
Connor Bedard is the only other player to earn that mark in the WHL. OHL players Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, John Tavares, Sean Day, Shane Wright and Michael Misa, as well as QMJHL skater Joe Veleno, are the other players to earn the status.
“Quinn Hughes is my idol, and I also like Cale Makar a lot,” DuPont told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis ahead of the WHL Draft.
“I watch their games and watch their clips and try to do that myself on the ice.
“They both have unreal edge work and are both two-way d-men who think heads up and always make the right play.”
