Vancouver Canucks’ top defensive prospect, Tom Willander, has earned his first honour of the 2024-25 season.

Following an impressive weekend that included a game-winning goal, an assist, three blocked shots, and six shots on goal over two games, the Swedish defender was named Hockey East Defender of the Week.

Willander played hero in the dying minutes of Saturday’s rematch against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Receiving the puck at the blue line, he fired a perfectly placed wrist shot to the top corner of the net, picking up his second goal of the season and second in three games. That goal would ultimately stand as the game-winner.

The Canucks’ 2023 11th overall pick is currently riding a five-game point streak, having recorded points in each of Boston University’s regular season games so far. In Saturday’s match against North Dakota, he logged the second-most ice time on his team (24:16), and he’s currently averaging just under 22 minutes per game while patrolling the Terriers’ second defensive pairing.

Willander has been utilized in all situations by BU’s Head Coach Jay Pandolfo, receiving top penalty-killing assignments and playing on the secondary power-play unit. Through five games, he has tallied two goals, three assists, nine shots on goal, six blocked shots, five hits, and carries a plus-4 rating. He’s one of only 20 defenders (three games or more) to be firing at a point-per-game clip in the nation.

Last season, the Swedish blueliner capped off his freshman year with 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) and a plus-28 rating—good for fourth-best among defencemen nationwide. He also contributed a goal and two assists for Team Sweden at the World Junior Championship, where they earned a silver medal on home soil.

Willander is expected to be a major fixture on Team Sweden at the upcoming World Junior Championship, hosted in Ottawa, Ontario. Come the spring, there is a strong chance that he will sign his first professional contract to join the Canucks’ organization in some capacity.

Willander and his Boston University Terriers will host the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, November 1st.