Garand named WHL Scholastic Player of the Year

Dylan Garand was named recipient of the of the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy as Western Hockey League scholastic player of the year, the league announced Wednesday.

Garand, enrolled at Valleyview Secondary School, is set to graduate with honors in June with an overall academic average of 96.5 percent.

The 17-year-old Kamloops Blazers goaltender maintained a 93 percent average in his Grade 12 core classes. In his Grade 11 and 12 years, Garand has completed 16 total courses to enrich his academic experience.

“Dylan is respected by his teammates as well as our staff, both as an excellent academic student and he provides excellent leadership,” Victor Bifano, Academic Advisor for the Blazers, said in a release. “He has managed his academics and hockey with a profound degree of maturity.”

Garand, eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft, helped the Blazers to their first B.C. Division title since 2012, posting a 28-10-2-1 record with a 2.21 goals against average and .921 save percentage with four shutouts.