Welcome to another WHL Best of the 2010s feature where we profile the best WHL players from the 2009-10 season all the way to the 2019-20 season. Players are judged based on what they did in each division. This means if a player spent time in multiple divisions, their placement will be judged based on what they did separately while in each division. Don’t forget to vote on our Twitter page, @WHLonA51 to help determine which player will be crowned the best WHL player of the 2010s. We hope you enjoy.
There is a really easy argument to make when it comes to Ian Scott’s place on this list. That is the Raiders 2019 WHL Championship Run. Scott was named Playoff MVP when they beat the Vancouver Giants in seven games that season. His playoff record was 16-6-1 with 1.96 GAA and five shutouts. Two of those were during the Final. That capped off an incredible season for Scott. He was 38-8-1 with a 1.83 GAA and recorded eight shutouts. He was named the CHL Goaltender of the Year and was named to Team Canada’s World Junior Championship team where he backed up Michael Dipietro in 2019.
As you look closer at Scott’s career, it’s fascinating to watch how he grew into the star he became. It started in 2016 when Scott backed up Ryan Parenteau. That season, he was 13-9-2 with a 3.24 GAA and one shutout. Under Scott’s first year as a starter, the Raiders did struggle. He was 12-31-3 with a 3.69 GAA and two shutouts That season; they would miss the playoffs. Things changed, however, in the 2017-2018 season as Scott and the Raiders returned to the playoffs. In 50 games that season, he was 24-16-3 with a 3.10 GAA. The Raiders lost in seven games to the number one seed Moose Jaw Warriors. The battle of that series catapulted them to the incredible 2018-2019 season. The Raiders were 54-10-2-2. This included an 18-game winning streak and a 25-1 start to the season. Scott himself had a 16-game winning streak that season. It started October 8 in Calgary when he shut out the Calgary Hitmen with a 4-0 win. Scott made 23 saves that game. The streak would end on December 4 in Swift Current when Joel Hofer made 52 saves, and the Broncos won 3-2 in overtime.
Amongst all of the stats, Scott also had the unique opportunity to score a goal in his career. Friday, November 16, 2018, against the Tri-City Americans, he was the eighth goalie in WHL history to score a goal.
Unfortunately for Scott, he had to announce his retirement from hockey due to injuries. Despite retiring early, he has a lot to be proud of from his WHL Career. His championship rise is enough for him to advance to the next round of the WHL Best of the 2010s contest.