Bulldogs' Andy Oakes named Executive of the Yr by BCHL Governors

Press Release

Alberni Valley Bulldogs’ President and Governor Andy Oakes has been selected by the British Columbia Hockey League’s Board of Governors as its Executive of the Year for the second consecutive season, the league announced Tuesday.

The award comes on the heels of an outstanding year for Oakes’s Bulldogs, who led the Coastal Conference with 93 points prior to a postseason run that saw the team reach the seventh game of the Conference Finals. Three Alberni Valley players and head coach Nolan Graham were recognized with Conference Awards at the conclusion of the regular season.

Oakes has also taken on a leadership role in the growth of the league, as he chairs the BCHL’s Strategic Planning Committee and sits on the five-member League Executive.

"The BCHL is a great league and it’s an honour to be recognized by your fellow governors for your contributions," says Oakes. "The Bulldogs organization takes great pride in working towards being leaders on and off the ice in the BCHL."

"On behalf of the BCHL and our Board of Governors, I’m pleased to once again congratulate Andy on this well-deserved recognition," Commissioner John Grisdale says. "Andy’s hard work and vision have been rewarded with tremendous success in Alberni Valley, and those same qualities have made him a valuable leader in the continuing growth of our league."

Oakes, who had previously suited up in the BCHL as a player, returned to the league following the purchase of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs by the Okanagan Hockey Schools in 2007. Oakes is the President of Okanagan Hockey Schools and the Okanagan Hockey Academy.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)