Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Alberta Junior Hockey League Announces 2014 League Award Winners

Press Release

 The Alberta Junior Hockey League, in partnership with The RBC Play Hockey Project, today announced the recipients of the 2013-2014 League Awards.  The award recipients will be presented with their respective trophies on home ice throughout the final week of the regular season and the 2014 AJHL Gas Drive Playoffs.

Most Valuable Player- Alberta Old Time Hockey Players Trophy / Outstanding Defenceman- W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy
Defenceman Trey Phillips of the Canmore Eagles is the 2013-2014 AJHL MVP and recipient of the W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy as the Outstanding Defenceman.

Phillips enters the final week of the regular season amongst the Top 10 in the AJHL Scoring Race and leads all AJHL defencemen in scoring with 60 points.   The 20 year-old has averaged 1.1 points per game to lead the Eagles in scoring, including 11 powerplay goals and 4 game winning goals.  This is his fourth and final season with the Canmore Eagles, during which time he has scored 114 points in 198 regular season games.

Trey Phillips was the Alberta Dodge Dealers AJHL Player of the Month and the Canadian Junior Hockey League 1st Star of the Month for January 2014.   He was also selected as the Pro Hockey Life Player of the Game 12 times in the regular season.

Trey Phillips (Okotoks, AB) is committed to the University of Vermont for the 2014-2015 season.

• 2013-2014 AJHL MVP Award Finalists: Tanner Jaillet, Fort McMurray Oil Barons; Nicholas Jones, Sherwood Park Crusaders; Spencer Dorowicz, Olds Grizzlys
• 2012-2013 AJHL MVP Award Winner: Cam Maclise, Brooks Bandits

The Outstanding Defenceman award is given annually to the defensive player who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position throughout the season.   Trey Phillips is the first Canmore Eagles defenceman to win the AJHL Outstanding Defenceman Award.

• 2013-2014 Outstanding Defenceman Award Finalists: Grant Baker, Lloydminster Bobcats; Corey Chorneyko, Spruce Grove Saints; Tariq Hammond, Okotoks Oilers
• 2012-2013 Outstanding Defenceman Award Winner: Josh Healey, Sherwood Park Crusaders

Top Goaltender - Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey League Trophy
Tanner Jaillet of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons is the winner of the 2013-2014 Top Goaltender Award and recipient of the Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey League Trophy.  The Top Goaltender Award is awarded to the goalie who demonstrated the greatest ability in his position throughout the season as voted on by the league’s General Managers and Coaches.

Tanner Jaillet opened the 2013-2014 season with 10 consecutive wins, and 13 games without a regulation loss.  He is tied for 1st overall with a .933 save percentage and 2nd amongst all league goaltenders with a 2.01 GAA.  Jaillet has recorded a league leading 6 shutouts and is 29-9-3 in the regular season.

Jaillet (Red Deer, AB) was selected as the Pro Hockey Life Player of the Game nine times in the regular season.  Jaillet also received the honour of Alberta Dodge Dealers AJHL Player of the Month and the Canalta Hotels AJHL Player of the Week in September 2013.  The Canadian Junior Hockey League selected Jaillet as the 1st Star of the Month for September 2013 in recognition of the goaltender’s remarkable start to the season.  Tanner was also a finalist for the 2013-2014 AJHL MVP Award.

The 20 year old goaltender is in his third season with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and has committed to the University of Denver.  Jaillet becomes the fifth Oil Barons goaltender to receive the Top Goaltender Award.

• 2013-2014 Award Finalists: Kenny Cameron, Spruce Grove Saints; Ryan Ferguson, Canmore Eagles; Jared D'Amico, Okotoks Oilers
• 2012-2013 Award Winner: Nick Kulmanovsky, Grande Prairie Storm

Rookie of the Year - Dick White Trophy, Presented by Canalta Hotels
Forward Chris Gerrie of the Olds Grizzlys is the 2013-2014 AJHL Rookie of the Year.   Gerrie leads all AJHL rookies in goals, assists and points (18G, 25A, 53 PTS) and is second in team scoring with an average of 0.9 points per game.  He is currently tied for 18th overall in the AJHL Scoring Race.  His 19 powerplay assists place him among the Top 3 AJHL Scorers.

During the opening months of his rookie campaign, the 17 year-old committed to Michigan Tech University for the 2016-2017 season.  Gerrie made an immediate impact to the line-up with 27 points in his first 28 AJHL games.

Chris Gerrie (Red Deer, AB) has been selected as the Pro Hockey Life Player of the Game five times in his rookie season.  He becomes the fourth player in franchise history to earn the AJHL Rookie of the Year Award

• 2013-2014 Award Finalists: Mitch Vanderlaan, Fort McMurray Oil Barons; Tyler Busch, Spruce Grove Saints; Ryan Ferguson, Canmore Eagles
• 2012-2013 Award Winner: Tanner MacMaster, Camrose Kodiaks

Most Dedicated Player - Don McNabb Memorial Trophy
The Most Dedicated Player in the AJHL and winner of the Don McNabb Memorial Trophy is Brooks Bandits forward Anthony Paskaruk.  The Don McNabb Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged the most dedicated to his team.

The Bandits Team Captain is tied for third in team scoring with 38 points, and leads the team in assists with 28.  The 20 year-old forward received the Pro Hockey Life Player of the Game Award and the Canalta Hotel AJHL Player of the Week Award in January 2014. 

Paskaruk won a Bronze medal as a member of Team Canada West at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge in Nova Scotia.

Anthony Paskaruk (Airdrie, AB) is committed to Clarkson University for the 2014-2015 season.  He is in his fourth season with the Brooks Bandits, during which time he has played in 225 regular season games and scored 146 AJHL points.  Paskaruk has tied the franchise record for Most Games Played in a Single Season (225GP).  Paskaruk is the first Bandits player to win the Don McNabb Memorial Trophy.

• 2013-2014 Award Finalists: Austin McDonald, Lloydminster Bobcats; Joel Herbert, Whitecourt Wolverines; Cam Gotaas, Camrose Kodiaks
• 2012-2013 Award Winner: Dylan Hubbs, Olds Grizzlys

Coach of the Year
The 2013-2014 AJHL Coach of the Year is Jason McKee of the Spruce Grove Saints.  McKee and the Saints have held a spot at the top of the AJHL Standings all season, and currently hold onto first place with 93 points and just two regular season games remaining.  The Saints lead the league with 288 goals for, and a goal differential of +98 (Goals For / Goals Against).

The Spruce Grove Saints were ranked as #1 in the CJHL Top 20 Weekly Rankings multiple times throughout the final months of the regular season.

Jason McKee has held the position of Saints Head Coach and General Manager for the past four seasons, guiding the team to the AJHL final in 2011 and 2013, and capturing the League Title in 2011.    McKee made his second appearance with Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in November 2013.  McKee led Canada West to a bronze medal as Head Coach, following a silver medal performance as an Assistant Coach in 2012.  McKee was previously Head Coach of Team West at the 2011 CJHL Prospects Games.

Four members of the 2013-2014 Spruce Grove Saints were finalists for AJHL League Awards, including McKee’s nomination.  Four current players on the Saints roster have accepted NCAA scholarships for the 2014-2015 season and beyond.

McKee was also a finalist for the Alberta Junior Hockey League Coach of the Year Award in 2012-2013.

• 2013-2014 Award Finalists: Garry VanHereweghe, Lloydminster Bobcats; Andrew Milne, Canmore Eagles; Brian Curran, Drumheller Dragons
• 2012-2013 Award Winner: Ryan Papaioannou, Brooks Bandits

 The following League Awards will also be presented at the conclusion of the 2013-2014 AJHL Regular Season.

• Regular Season Champion - Dave Duchak Trophy
• Scoring Champion - Ernie Love Trophy
• Top Team Goaltenders - Reebok / CCM Top Team Goaltenders Award
• Stewy Stewart Memorial - Stewy Stewart Memorial Trophy
• Pro Hockey Life Cup

The 2014 AJHL Gas Drive Playoffs will begin on Thursday, March 6th with a best-of-five series in each divisional match-up.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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