Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin has been named WHL Rookie of the Week after he fired off four assists in two games to help the G-Men sweep their latest home stand.
On Monday, Jan. 20, the Western Hockey League announced the award for the week ending Sunday, Jan. 19.
Lin, 16, rattled off his second career three-point game as the Giants thrashed the Tri-City Americans 6-3 on Jan. 17. Lin served up a secondary assist on a tic-tac-toe power play goal from captain Mazden Leslie and minutes later, he surged past an Americans forward to whip a centring pass onto the stick of Brett Olson, who fired home the eventual game-winner. He capped off the night with another helper just 11 seconds into the final frame, setting up Ty Halaburda on a 2-on-1 who scored to make it 5-2 and put the game out of reach.
Lin was named first star of the night with his three-assist effort.
The Richmond, B.C. product continued his streak on Jan. 19 as the Giants closed out a three-game home stand against the Brandon Wheat Kings. With the clock ticking down on the first period, Lin made a quick pass off from the defensive zone to spring Adam Titlbach for a late breakaway goal with less than one second left to play. The tally would stand as the game-winner in a 2-1 victory for Vancouver and marks a 3-0-1-0 run for the Giants.
Lin has three goals and 31 assists for 34 points in 39 games in his first full WHL season.
He set a new record for points by a 16-year-old Giants defenceman after blowing past his childhood idol Bowen Byram鈥檚 27-point campaign in 2017-18 and surpassing David Musil's 32-point run in 2009-10.
The 5-foot-11, 171-pound blueliner also sits second in assists and fifth in points among all rookie skaters. Plus he's riding a five-game point streak that has seen him pot a goal and seven assists.
Lin is also one of several rookies, including Everett Silvertips star Landon DuPont and three-time rookie of the week-winner Keaton Verhoeff of the Victoria Royals, who are on pace to break 50 points in their first season 鈥� a feat that hasn鈥檛 been accomplished since Hockey Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer posted 69 points in 1989-1990.
Vancouver drafted Lin with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. He appeared in one regular-season game and three playoff matches in the 2023-24 season.
Lin is eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Vancouver (22-16-5-0) is third in B.C. Division standings with points in seven of their last 10 games.
Next, Giants head south of the border to take on the Seattle Thunderbirds (14-26-2-1) on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:05 p.m. PST.
Their next home game is Sunday, Jan. 26 against the Swift Current Broncos at 4 p.m. Vancouver will then host Kamloops on Saturday, Feb. 1 and the Spokane Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 2.
