By WJBC Staff
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Thunder defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk has been named to the All-USHL Third Team while goaltender Logan Halladay has been honored with the United States Hockey League’s Curt Hammer Award for his dedication to community service.
In his second season with the Thunder and third in the USHL, Kalynuk posted a career-high 31 points on six goals and 25 assists to earn his first end-of-season plaudit.
The University of Wisconsin commit finished tied for sixth among league defenseman in points and led all rear guards with his 159 shots on goal during the 2016-17 campaign. His shots on goal total was 18 more than the next closest league defenseman, Jake Ryczek of Waterloo.
After posting 24 points in his first season with the Thunder last year, Kalynuk was one of the Thunder’s top returning scorers for this season and served as one of the team’s alternate captains. He finished fifth on the team in scoring this season and was third in scoring among players who spent the entire season in Bloomington. He doubled his previous career-high in goals after he posted three last season.
In his final season with the Thunder, Halladay organized a season-long campaign centered on his specialized goaltender mask to benefit the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Halladay raised $6,120 through the fundraiser to help with Down syndrome awareness and research.
Throughout his three years with the Thunder, Halladay also regularly volunteered at Wish Bone Canine Rescue Shelter in Bloomington. He was one of the few male volunteers at Wish Bone and spent time with dogs that normally did not receive as much attention, according to Wish Bone’s Andrea Cardinal.
“Logan is a great asset to our organization,” Cardinal said. “He is one of our few male volunteers and he loves to come in and socialize with our larger dogs, who often get the least amount of attention.
“Logan has such a great love of animals and we are so lucky that he chooses to spend his free time socializing our dogs while they wait for their forever home.”
Halladay also participated in various community events in his tenure with the Thunder, including reading at schools, taking part in the Thunder’s Recess Buddies program, and visiting senior care centers.
