WHL Stock Watch: Berkly Catton and Andrew Cristall are unstoppable together

For most of the season, the Everett Silvertips were the WHL’s team to beat. Now, it looks like the Spokane Chiefs have claimed that title. 

Since acquiring Andrew Cristall, the league’s leading scorer, Spokane has scored the most goals in the league, become the league’s second-best power play, and won 15 of 22 games – one of those games being a 10-3 beatdown of Everett. 

While the Chiefs’ top line was the league’s three leading scorers during February, lots of else happened: Max Pšenička’s mid-season move to the WHL has him looking like a potential top-50 pick, Tyler Thorpe’s impressive season continues, and more in this month’s WHL Stock Watch. 

Stock Rising 📈

Andrew Cristall, Berkly Catton, and the Spokane Chiefs

Andrew Cristall has changed the Spokane Chiefs. Of course, there’s the obvious stat sheet stuff: He’s the league’s leading scorer overall, leading primary assist-getter, even-strength primary point per game leader, and more. Spokane was already an offensive powerhouse, as Berkly Catton has been the league’s second-leading even-strength producer most season, while overager Shea Van Olm has been the league’s leading goalscorer. 

The chemistry between those three has been instantaneous – and it hasn’t come with any tradeoffs for their individual success. All three are constantly looking for each, building intricate passing plays and shredding opposing defences. While the three each have a clear role on the line – Cristall the quick-touch playmaker, Catton the transition carrier, and Van Olm the shooter – each of them can pick up each other’s role on any given night. It’s that versatility that prevented the league’s best defensive teams from shutting down them. 

There’s also the impact on the rest of the team. They control the offensive shift zone for 45-plus seconds in many shifts and draw the toughest matchups, giving other lines more opportunities to shine. 

No one has benefitted more than 2025 draft-eligible Owen Martin, who scored 18 points in 13 games this month, while Leafs prospect Nathan Mayes and Avalanche prospect Saige Weinstein have become much more involved in Spokane’s offence. 

From an individual perspective, the stock of both Cristall and Catton is rising. Cristall’s playing at a higher tempo to keep pace with the blazing Catton, while Catton’s picked up the defensive and physical intensity.

Good luck, rest of the WHL.

Tyler Thorpe, RW, Vancouver Giants (Montréal Canadiens)

Though Tyler Thorpe is producing at a slightly lower clip than last season’s breakout campaign, he’s one of the season’s biggest improvers. The hard-shooting power forward has seen significant growth in his skating, transition game, and physicality, leading to a surge in scoring chances, three-zone impact, and translatability to the next level. 

Now, Thorpe is one of the league’s more dynamic puck carriers. He works back down the wall to take the middle, letting him build the speed to weave through traffic and power to the net. Increasingly, he’s using those driving skills to beat a defender and set up a teammate in the slot, too. Overall, he’s put together one of the best reels in the league: 

Now, let’s reframe the production. He leads Vancouver in even-strength primary points (30), and he’s outproducing Tanner Howe, Andrew Basha, and Julius Miettinen on a per-game basis in that category. He’s top 10 in the league in hits and tied for first in the league in both shorthanded points (seven) and shorthanded goals (six). More and more, he looks like quite the fifth-round pick by the Canadiens. 

Max Pšenička, RD, Portland Winterhawks (2025 NHL Draft)

Admittedly, Max Pšenička was a little off our radar before he arrived in the WHL. After a string of impressive performances to start his WHL career, that’s no longer the case. 

The 6-foot-4 right shot defenceman has been adapted to the WHL quickly, showcasing his activation skills, deception, and immense defensive potential every time we've tuned in. Here's a sample from February 23rd's game against Spokane: 

“He's a joy to watch with his aggressive, creation-focused style. Take this shift, for example. He caught the puck inside crossovers working to the point, accelerated down the wall after the defender engaged, then drove the net for a high-danger chance. As the puck came back around, he stepped in, loaded up a shot, and then rolled his wrists through it to turn it into a pass for a chance. He's a highly deceptive player, using fake shots to set up passes and showing a pass up the wall to instead use the middle on the breakout."

Pšenička is our latest B-grade prospect and will feature highly in our next 2025 Draft ranking, which drops in early April. 

Honourable Mentions: Cole Reschny (2025 NHL Draft), Adam Jecho (St. Louis Blues), Owen Martin (2025 NHL Draft), Joby Baumuller (2025 NHL Draft), Savin Virk (2025 NHL Draft).

Stock Steady ↔️ 

Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips (2025 NHL Draft)

If you just take a look at Carter Bear’s production, you might see some cause for concern. He went from 1.77 points per game in the first half to 1.19 in the second. And he‘s currently in the midst of his driest spell since March 2023 (three points in nine games). But there really isn’t much to be concerned about here. 

Bear is the same effective offensive player – he’s even better in the second half in some ways. He’s carrying the puck more, making more high-end passes, and still getting accumulating chances at the same rate. You wouldn’t know about the production struggles by watching him. 

Even just taking a closer look at the numbers paints a very different picture. Since the second half began, he’s still been Everett’s leader scorer with 32 points – eight more than the next closest. He has the same number of primary points (24) as the next closest teammate has total points! 

The difference? Everett’s scoring a full goal less per game in the second half, driven by a drop off in power play efficiency and even-strength shooting percentage. With regards to Bear, there's nothing to be concerned about. 

Noah Chadwick, LD, Lethbridge Hurricanes (Toronto Maple Leafs)

After last season’s breakout, Noah Chadwick’s next steps were improving mobility, physicality, and retrievals. He’s done the latter, very impressive so, as highlighted in an early February game report: 

“Chadwick's retrievals have taken a step this season. He's more agile and fluid on receptions, better able to absorb contact, and more willing to make quick plays. With passing skill and vision under fire, he connects with teammates up the weak side and middle, creating high-value entries.”

Defending against speed remains an issue at times, but Chadwick’s become better at timing pokes, eliminating off-puck threats, and killing rushes early. The offensive game and breakout skills remain just as impressive – he’s a true playmaking defenceman. 

Despite the stagnant production, he’s clearly taken steps this season. A professional adjustment might take some time, but his size, skill, and work rate should make him a favourite of the organization. 

Statistics via InStat Hockey.