UPDATE: Thursday, Feb 08, 2024, 6:00 AM
The award winners are in as shared by league webmaster/statistican Phil Heilman. Congrats!
(via @sportsheilman on X/Formerly Twitter)ORIGINAL: Tuesday, Feb 06, 2024, 6:00 AM
With another regular season now come-and-gone, the Sask West Hockey League is looking to award those who stood out on the ice. They announced the nominees for League MVP, Top Defenseman, Most Gentlemanly, and Best Defensive Forward. The list also includes both Coach of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, two different memorial awards, and then the annual all-star lineup.
Finishing with an undefeated season, it's no surprise to see a pair of Wilkie Outlaws on the list for Most Valuable Player. Forward Brock Harrison led the team with 49 points in 16 games, and Derek Keller was an over point-per-game player on defense collecting 26 points across 17 games. Biggar goaltender Brett Matlock joined the pair of Outlaws after his impressive season for the Nationals, helping his team to a 7-9-2 record with his 3.31 GAA and .923 SV%.
Wilkie's Derek Keller is also on the list for the league's top defenseman. Keller's teammate Will Rathje is also up for the award, as the Outlaws were a stifling unit all-year-long allowing just under 2.8 goals-per-game. Edam 3 Stars defender Jordan Fransoo rounds out the list of nominees.
The Most Gentlemany award sees a pair of Hafford Hawks on the list, Brandon Lesko and Jeremy Boyer, and they are joined by Macklin Mohawks skater Spencer Bast. Sticking with those teams, Cody McKinnon from Macklin and Jordan Braid from Hafford were both nominated for the leagues best defensive forward, Ryne Keller of the stalwart Wilkie squad joining the list.
The SWHL's Rookie of the Year is between Kindersley Sr. Klippers goalie Cody Beswitherick who has filled in admirably at times for the team this year, young skater for the Unity Miners Hunter Sperle, and Wyatt Versluis who was part of a nice Biggar Nationals team this season.
Three teams presented candidates for Coach of the Year. Colter Zarubiak and Kyle Laternus of the Biggar Nationals, Curt McLean, Vern Schultz, and Mitch Cooper behind the bench in Unity, and Hafford Hawks bench boss Greg Gryzbowski.
The league has two memorial awards to hand out. The Harvey Somerville Memorial Award has five nominees, Mitch Wall, Ken Kernohan, Reid McBride, Bill Sittler, Joe Cey, and Kaleb Carter. The Bill Cey - Hardest Working Local Player Memorial Award has nominees from each team. Macklin's Cody McKinnon, Wilkie's Rick Cey, Hafford's Kobe Kindrachuk, Unity's Alex David, Edam's Joel Blaquiere, Biggar's Derek Argue, and finally Kindersley's Senior Klippers skater Jarret Reichert.
The league also unveiled their all-star team for the season:
All-Star Goaltenders
- Brett Matlock - Biggar
- Logan Drackett - Kindersley
- Taryn Kotchorek - Edam
All-Star Defense
- Braden Lacoursiere - Unity
- Byron Ismond - Kindersley
- Derek Keller - Wilkie
- Jordan Fransoo - Edam
- Kobe Kindrachuk - Hafford
- Tyler Baier - Macklin
- Will Rathje - Wilkie
All-Star Forwards
- Brett Boehm - Wilkie
- Brock Harrison - Wilkie
- Chris Henry - Biggar
- Jeremy Boyer - Hafford
- Johnathon Redlich - Biggar
- Jordan Braid - Hafford
- Rory Gregoire - Wilkie
- Ryan Keller - Wilkie
- Spencer Bast - Macklin
Good luck to the players nominated for this year's awards. Check out all of the nominees in one place below.
Photo via @sportsheilman on X/Formerly Twitter)
Thu, May 2, 9:30 AM
