The Vancouver Giants have named Ty Thorpe the 20th captain in franchise history. The Winnipeg, Manitoba-born center will take over the captaincy duties after the Giants traded Zack Ostapchuk ahead of the 2023 WHL Trade Deadline. Thorpe has been an assistant captain for the Giants this season as he plays out his final WHL season.
Thorpe was traded to the Giants prior to the 2021-22 season. Since his arrival two seasons ago, he has played in 99 games for Vancouver, with his 100th being celebrated by also being his first as captain. He has 19 goals and 42 points in 37 games this season and is currently ranked second in team scoring. Over his career with the Giants, he has 35 goals and 86 points in 99 career games.
Where Thorpe has thrived since arriving in Vancouver is in the faceoff dot. During the regular season, he has won 1,277 of his 2,126 or 60% of all draws. He was also strong during the 2022 playoffs winning 160 of his 273 draws or 58.6%
“It’s an honour to be named captain to such a prestigious organization—I’m following in the footsteps of a long line of exceptional people,” said Ty Thorpe. “We have an amazing group of guys and a locker room full of leaders. We’re excited to see what we can do and continue our success into the second half.”
Thorpe’s first game as captain will come on January 11th versus the Kamloops Blazers. The two teams have played five times this season, with Thopre recording two goals during the season series. With three wins in their last four games, Vancouver will look to continue their strong play against the Blazers and will look to make it a special night for their brand-new captain.