The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the remainder
of its awards for the 2012-13 season. The selections are based on
performance during the 2012-13 regular season, as voted upon by the
league’s 24 head coaches.
The 2012-13 season awards include: Most Valuable Player, Forward of
the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Brian’s Goaltender of the Year,
Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, General Manager of the Year and
Organization of the Year, along with the Academic Achievement Award,
Community Service Award and Mark Messier Leadership Award. Here is a
look at the winners:
2012-13 Most Valuable Player and Forward of the Year: Jared VanWormer, Soo Eagles
Like many players that play in the league, Soo Eagles forward Jared
VanWormer, 20, is a perfect example of how the NAHL is supposed to
work. The native of Traverse City, Michigan, just completed his third
season in the league and ended up as its leading scorer during the
2012-13 season with 76 points (25 goals, 51 assists) in 60 games played.
His 51 assists also led the league and his +35 rating ranked 7th.
This past February, VanWormer played in the 2013 NAHL Top Prospects
Tournament as a part of the Great Lakes team. In 176 career NAHL
regular season games, VanWormer tallied 58 goals and 85 assists for 143
career points. In 14 career playoff games, he totaled six points (2
goals, 4 assists). VanWormer has secured an NCAA Division I commitment
to Ferris State University.
2012-13 Defenseman of the Year: Josh Hartley, Wenatchee Wild
Wenatchee Wild defenseman Josh Hartley, 21, completes his third and
final season in an NAHL uniform as one of the most decorated defensemen
in league history. This season, the native of Coquitlam, British
Columbia, led all NAHL defensemen in points with 43 in 58 games played.
His 34 assists were tops among all NAHL defensemen and his +21 rating
ranked in the Top 10. In 170 career NAHL regular season games, Hartley
recorded 95 points from the blueline (25 goals, 70 assists). Prior to
playing in Wenatchee this season, Hartley played two years for the
Dawson Creek Rage. He played in the 2012 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament
as a part of Team West. Hartley has secured an NCAA Division I
commitment to Dartmouth College.
2012-13 Brian’s Goaltender of the Year: Tyler Marble, Soo Eagles
This year’s Brian’s Goaltender of the Year is Soo Eagles goaltender
Tyler Marble. A veteran of three NAHL seasons, the native of Howell,
Michigan, led the Eagles to the North Division regular season title in
2012-13. In the process, Marble, 21, recorded the highest save
percentage in the NAHL at 93.8%. He also led the league in saves with
1,463 and was tied for 3rd in wins with 30. In Marble’s three-year NAHL
career, which began with the Traverse City North Stars and ended with
the Soo Eagles, he recorded a career record of 67 wins, 26 losses and 7
overtime/shootout losses with nine shutouts. He posted a career goals
against average of 2.76 and a career save percentage of 91.5%. Marble
played in the NAHL Top Prospects event in late 2010 in Boston, MA.
Marble has secured an NCAA Division I commitment to Colorado College.
2012-13 Rookie of the Year: Brandon Hawkins, Texas Tornado
Relatively unknown to start the 2012-13 season, Texas Tornado
forward Brandon Hawkins, 19, burst onto the scene as a 18-year-old
rookie in September. By the end of October, he registered 21 points
(including 15 goals) in his first 15 games in the NAHL. His 16 points
in the month of October led the NAHL and Hawkins was named as the NAHL’s
Forward of the Month. He continued on a hot pace as he helped the
Tornado to winning streaks of nine straight games in September-October
and 10 straight games in December-January, both of which were NAHL-highs
this past season. The native of Macomb, Michigan finished with 58
points in 60 games played during the 2012-13 season. His 35 goals led
the league and his nine power play goals ranked in the Top 10. In
February, Hawkins played in the 2013 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament as a
part of the NAHL 18U Selects team where he tied for the team lead in
scoring with four points in three games. Hawkins has secured an NCAA
Division I commitment to Bowling Green State University.
2012-13 Coach of the Year: Dennis Williams, Amarillo Bulls
Under the direction of head coach Dennis Williams the Amarillo
Bulls secured a third straight Robertson Cup appearance, a third
straight NAHL South Division playoff title, a second consecutive NAHL
regular season title and highest point total and a second consecutive
NAHL South Division regular season title. In addition, a league-leading
13 players on the current Amarillo roster have secured an NCAA
commitment. Pretty remarkable numbers for a head coach finishing just
his third season in the league. The Bulls also equaled their
NAHL-record total of 99 points this past season, a mark that they also
set last season. Their 46 wins and seven regulation losses both led the
NAHL. The Bulls also finished the season as the #1 ranked offense and
the #1 ranked defense in the league. Williams also was the coach of
team Texas at the 2013 NAHL Robertson Cup Tournament.
2012-13 General Manager of the Year: Rob Proffitt, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Under the direction of General Manager Rob Proffitt, the Ice Dogs
had another successful season, both on the ice and in the community. On
the ice, the Ice Dogs won 39 games during the regular season and
advanced to a Division Finals in the playoffs for a sixth straight
season. They also had nine players commit to NCAA schools so far this
season. Proffitt has also developed one of the most impressive lists of
corporate partners in the NAHL. Perhaps more impressively, he helped
his team sellout 24 of possible 28 home games this season, which lead
the NAHL. With a seating capacity of 2,242 at the Big Dipper Ice Arena,
the Ice Dogs averaged 2,209 fans during the 2012-13 season, which put
them at an amazing 98.5% capacity. This marks Proffitt’s third
consecutive year of being honored as NAHL General Manager of the Year.
2012-13 Organization of the Year: Johnstown Tomahawks
Johnstown is a hockey town, and the fans proved it once again by
welcoming the NAHL’s Johnstown Tomahawks with enthusiasm as the team
revitalized a community with a rich hockey tradition. The Tomahawks
finished fifth in the NAHL in total and average attendance, which
included 11 home games with 3,000 fans or more. That’s an impressive
stat for a first-year team in a market that had never witnessed NAHL
action. The team also made the playoffs in their first season in
Johnstown and had three players make NCAA Division I commitments. While
there was a lot to celebrate on game nights the Tomahawks were equally
as impressive in the community. The Johnstown Tomahawks Foundation
directly donated and assisted with donations exceeding $25,000 during
the inaugural 2012-13 season. By providing both donations and assisting
with community events, the team contributed to over 15 local charitable,
non-profit, and youth hockey organizations. Among these organizations
are the Special Olympics of Western PA, Conemaugh Health Foundation
Cancer Fund, Planet Ice Arena – Ziggy’s Kids Hockey Program, Portage
School SAAD, Johnstown Police K-9 Unit, the Tomahawks Booster Club, and
the Forest Hills Girls Varsity Volleyball Event, “Spike Autism.”
2012-13 Academic Achievement Award: Drew Kariofiles, Topeka RoadRunners
The balancing act required for an athlete to maintain a level of
excellence both in their sport and in the classroom can be a challenging
one, but it’s one that Topeka RoadRunner captain Drew Kariofiles has
not only embraced, but mastered. Kariofiles has been taking online
classes with Miami University Middletown; a state-assisted regional
campus of Miami University located in Middletown, Ohio. It is the
oldest regional campus of Miami University. His program is for a
Bachelor of Arts degree in University Studies, and his grades have been
exemplary. He recorded straight A’s in four classes: English, History,
Psychology and Sociology. His percent average in the four college
courses was a 97.51%. The numbers speak for themselves, and would be
impressive under any circumstance, but when one considers the toll of
being a junior hockey player, with all the travel, practices, games,
workouts, and public appearances, the achievement becomes all the more
impressive. Then when you factor in that Drew has been the captain of
his team, his academic success was all the more remarkable.
2012-13 Community Service Award: Ryan Cole, Amarillo Bulls
Ryan Cole’s Community Humanitarian project during the 2012-13
season was for Habitat for Humanity (H for H). H for H is an
organization that has strong roots in local communities and builds
houses for those who are less fortunate and would not be able to afford
it. Ryan felt it was important to help lead the charge in regards to
community outreach within the city of Amarillo. When he arrived at the
beginning of the season he put together Bulls4Habitat, a charity that
would raise money for Habitat for Humanity. His goal at the beginning of
the year was to raise at least $5,000 for the organization and donate
his time to help build houses in the community. As the year went on he
organized and ran fundraising events at local Chili's, Youth Fun Houses,
the Amarillo Discovery Center and at the rink during games to reach his
goal. Ryan had a booth set up at home games offering up chances to
donate to the Bulls4Humanity project as well as participate in auctions
and raffles with proceeds going to B4H. These items were donated to the
Amarillo Bulls specifically for the Habitat For Humanity project by
local businesses. Ryan also managed to get an Autographed and
personalized Rodney Atkins (Country Musician) Amarillo Bulls Jersey. The
Jersey was also raffled off with all proceeds donated directly to B4H.
At the end of the season over $7,000 and counting was raised by Cole and
his efforts for the Amarillo Chapter of Habitat For Humanity. The most
impressive and exciting part of the whole campaign is that the Amarillo
Habitat For Humanity chapter has decided to dedicate their next built
house to Ryan and his organization, Bulls4Habitat. Construction on the
Bulls4Habitat house began on April 20th with a ground-breaking and
special presentation made by Ryan and his teammates.
2012-13 Mark Messier Leadership Award: Conor Lemirande, Janesville Jets
Lemirande, a native of Janesville, WI, has been a rock-solid
cornerstone for the Jets on the ice and in their community. The
6-foot-5, 225-pound forward recorded 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists)
and 127 penalty minutes in 54 games during the 2012-13 season, his
second season with the Jets. He has established himself as a selfless
leader who never hesitates to stand up for his teammates. He is a great
leader on and off of the ice and leads in areas other than hockey. He
helped raise money for the Salvation Army, he helped collect toys for
toys for tots and he also raised money for Mercy Health Cancer
Awareness. He totaled 87 hours of community service from
September-April. He was a big motivator for his teammates to get more
involved in the community on a regular basis. He led the team every
month in community service hours and even after the season is over he is
still volunteering in the community of Janesville. Some of the programs
that Conor volunteered for were Big Brothers/Big Sisters, as Conor was a
Big Brother for the entire season. As a Big Brother Conor was
responsible to mentor, play sports with, help with homework and just be a
big brother. Conor also volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club
where he was a lunch buddy for elementary child in Janesville. The Mark
Messier Project Leadership Award was established in 2010-11, and
recognizes the NAHL player who best exemplifies strong leadership both
on and off the ice.
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
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