Hitmen Alumnus Earns Award

CANADA WEST - The Canada West Universities Athletic Association and Western Hockey League are proud to announce that University of Saskatchewan left-winger and former Calgary Hitmen player Kyle Bortis is the Canada West men’s hockey Husky-WHL Graduate of the Month for October 2011.

Each monthly winner throughout the season receives a $500 cheque towards the cost of education, a plaque, a letter from WHL Commissioner Ron Robison and a computer bag.

A third-year member of the Huskies, Bortis recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points in eight conference games from Sept. 30 through Oct. 29, including game-winning goals on Oct. 15 (Regina) and 22 (Lethbridge). He  recorded points in six different contests, five of them multiple-point games.

Bortis, a 23-year-old Agriculture student at the U of S, becomes the 23rd monthly winner of the award for Saskatchewan and first since Steven DaSilva won the award in October 2008. In two previous seasons with the Huskies Bortis has 18 goals and 37 assists for 56 points, 28 in both 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Into early November Bortis is tied for the 2011-12 Canada West scoring lead, with 5-10-15.

One of 155 Canada West student-athletes with a WHL scholarship for the 2011-12, the University of Saskatchewan leads all North American institutions with 33 active recipients.

Before joining the Huskies, Bortis played four seasons in the Western Hockey League - two for the Swift Current Broncos, followed by two with the Calgary Hitmen after a trade in October 2007.

In 236 career WHL games, the 5-8 Saskatoon product scored 86 goals, adding 123 assists for 209 regular season points. In 40 post-season games Bortis accumulated 13-23-36, going to the Conference final in 2009 with a Hitmen team that finished first overall during the regular season.