Leon Draisaitl’s exceptional performance during the 2015 Western Hockey League regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup has earned the German-born forward a place on the Kelowna Rockets’ Wall of Recognition.
Draisaitl was added to the wall at Prospera Place this summer by mural artist Joey Kramer to become the 18th player to be so honoured in the WHL club’s 27-year history.
The accompanying plaque summarizes Draisaitl’s contributions to the Rockets during the 2014-15 season.
“Leon joined the Rockets for a championship run, recording 53 points in 32 regular season games before adding 28 points in 19 playoff games en route to capturing the WHL Championship and WHL Finals MVP, before pushing the Rockets to their 5th Memorial Cup appearance. Leon was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Memorial Cup MVP.”
In a trade with the Prince Albert Raiders, the Rockets added Draisaitl to the roster for the club’s 2015 playoff run.
“It was great to get another player of that quality up on the wall and he joins a pretty esteemed group,” Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton said of the addition of Draisaitl.
The criteria to qualify for a place on the Rockets’ Wall of Recognition includes one or more of the following:
Awarded MVP of the Memorial Cup; been captain of a Memorial Cup winning team; won a world junior gold medal; won a world championship gold medal; or won an Olympic gold medal.