By Western Hockey League

CALGARY, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that longtime Regina Leader-Post sports editor Rob Vanstone has been named the 2022 recipient of the Bob Ridley WHL Award for Media Excellence.

Vanstone will be presented the Bob Ridley WHL Award for Media Excellence prior to the start of the WHL Regular Season game between the Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos, Saturday, November 5 at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

Since 1986, Vanstone has graced the Regina Leader-Post sports pages with comprehensive coverage of the Regina Pats, Saskatchewan Roughriders and local amateur sports.

Known for his high standards and integrity, Vanstone has consistently provided sports coverage that balances fact with positivity, delivering to fans information and stories that ensure the Regina Pats remain in the hearts and minds of people in the Queen City.

“The WHL and the Regina Pats are proud to recognize Rob’s extensive coverage of our League in the Regina Leader-Post over the past 36 years,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “Throughout his career, Rob has done an incredible job of telling the story both of the Pats and the Western Hockey League with a high degree of integrity and he is a most deserving recipient of this prestigious WHL award.”

“I could not be more flattered by or grateful for this extraordinarily kind gesture. This means more than I can sufficiently express,” said Vanstone. “Thank you sincerely to everyone involved with the Western Hockey League and its member Clubs for being so accommodating, and to the readers for all the time you have so thoughtfully shared with me. Without the games and the people who derive such great pleasure from watching these remarkable young players, I would simply be writing notes to myself and running my phrasing past the dog in the vain hope of receiving a tail-wag.”

“I cannot think of someone more deserving of this award than Rob Vanstone,” stated Bob Ridley. “Rob is very highly respected by his media colleagues and those who have followed his articles on a daily basis in the Regina area for many years.”

We are fortunate to have a true professional like Rob covering the Regina Pats, he knows hockey and loves the sport. He is very deserving of the Bob Ridley WHL Award for Media Excellence,” added Regina Pats Vice-President of Hockey Operations John Paddock.

Inaugurated in 2021, the Bob Ridley WHL Award for Media Excellence is presented annually to a distinguished member of the radio, television, and print journalism industry in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports journalism and the WHL.

About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.