Carter Sotheran Makes Statement with WHL Player of the Week Honors
Carter Sotheran is making it loud and clear-he’s not just a name on the roster, he’s a force on the ice. The Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman out of Sanford, Manitoba, just put together the kind of week that turns heads across the Western Hockey League, earning him WHL Player of the Week honors after a dominant two-game stretch.
Let’s start with the headline performance. Friday night in Moose Jaw, Sotheran didn’t just show up-he took over.
The 20-year-old blueliner erupted for five points, including his first career WHL hat trick, and added two assists for good measure. That’s not a typo.
A defenseman dropping a hat trick and five points in a single game? That’s rare air, and it came in his 250th career WHL game-a milestone night made unforgettable by the way he played.
What stood out wasn’t just the stat line-it was how he got there. Sotheran was everywhere.
He activated deep into the offensive zone, jumped on loose pucks, and finished plays in tight like a seasoned forward. He also quarterbacked the attack from the blue line, controlling the tempo and driving possession.
It was a complete performance from a player whose game has been trending upward all season.
Earlier in the week, Sotheran chipped in a goal and an assist in a divisional win over Medicine Hat, helping the Oil Kings keep their momentum rolling. Across both games, he finished with seven points and a +5 rating-numbers that speak to both his offensive impact and his ability to tilt the ice in his team’s favor.
This isn’t coming out of nowhere. Sotheran’s been building toward this kind of breakout.
At 6-foot-4, he brings size and reach, but it’s his puck-moving ability and offensive instincts that have really started to shine. Splitting time this season between Portland and Edmonton, he’s emerged as one of the WHL’s most productive defensemen, leading all blueliners in assists and ranking among the top scorers at his position.
Since joining the Oil Kings-who are very much in the playoff picture-Sotheran has looked like a player with something to prove. And he’s proving it.
The confidence is evident every time he touches the puck. He’s not just playing within the system-he’s elevating it.
Originally drafted by the Portland Winterhawks back in 2020, Sotheran has taken the long view on development. Five seasons in the WHL have shaped him into a reliable two-way presence, and now the offensive side of his game is catching up in a big way. The Philadelphia Flyers clearly saw the upside when they selected him in the 2023 NHL Draft, and with the way he’s trending, there’s every reason to believe his best hockey is still ahead.
For Manitoba hockey fans, Sotheran’s rise is another example of the province’s growing footprint in the junior ranks-and potentially beyond. His latest performance wasn’t just worthy of weekly honors. It was the kind of showing that cements a player’s status as one of the league’s premier defensemen.
Seven points, a +5 rating, and one unforgettable milestone night-Carter Sotheran didn’t just have a big week. He made a statement.