Leading up to the start of the 2017-18 season, we will be highlighting some of the top young men who have been part of the St. Louis Jr. Blues’ recent success. Today we spotlight defenseman Trevor Wilhelm.
A star with St Louis-area prep powerhouse Christian Brothers College and the St. Louis AAA Blues, Wilhelm joined the Jr. Blues program in 2016. The 5’8”, 170-lb right-hander made an instant offensive impact, scoring 10 goals and adding 16 assists in 30 games played in the NA3HL. His success caught the eye of the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays: having previously impressed at their pre-draft and main camps, Wilhelm signed a tender agreement with Corpus for the 2017-18 season in November.
Corpus head coach Brad Flynn said that “we made a tough decision at the end of training camp to send Trevor to the Jr. Blues. The reason it was tough was because he played extremely well in all camps and was such a good young man….The reason we sent him down was we felt for his development it was way better for him to play and gain experience and confidence against junior age players.”
However, the IceRays found themselves stuck in a bind in January 2017: with their blue-line corps depleted by injury and fighting for a playoff position in the NAHL’s tough South Division, they called Wilhelm up for a crucial series at Amarillo. Trevor made the most of his opportunity, scoring a goal in his second game in Corpus Christi colors as the IceRays swept the Bulls that weekend. Corpus coach Brad Flynn was so impressed with Wilhelm that he retained the defenseman’s services for the remainder of the season: he added another goal and five assists to his tally in a total of 17 games played in the NAHL.
“Trevor’s the kind of player that really makes himself known on the ice,” said Jr. Blues head coach Chris Flaugher. “He’s not exactly the biggest guy size-wise at 5’8”, but he more than makes up for it with his intelligence and personality on the ice. Given the opportunity to play against bigger and older players at the junior level, he really stood out, and we’re pleased to see him continue that success with the IceRays.”
Flynn added that “Chris Flaugher did a great job developing and pushing him to us. Due to his development from Chris his plan for us ended up being fast tracked and that speaks volumes of the Jr. Blues coaching and organizational mindset to promote their players.”
