FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — It was an eventful evening at the Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre, as the Fort St. John Minor Hockey Association held their annual awards ceremony.
The Ron Robinson and Earl Alexander awards, which are handed out to Novice-aged players, were won by Traver Barrows and Jace Unruh respectively. Atom Recreation player Cowyn Loney was this year’s recipient of the Dale Palmer Award. Landon Alexander, who played on one of the two Atom Development teams was this year’s winner of the Kin Club Award.
The Corey Lee James Schultz Memorial Award, awarded in memory of Corey Schultz to a player in the Pee Wee division was given to LT McDonell for his “no fear” play and his work ethic. Maria Ayre, who also plays in the Pee Wee division, was awarded the June Godberson Memorial Award for her love and passion for the game of hockey. Adam Bourgeois was awarded the Mike Brandmann Awardfor his leadership on and off the ice this past season. The Fort St. John AAA Safety Pee Wee Flyers were this year’s winning team of the Rotary Fair Play Award.
Esso Medallion Awards were also handed out to three players on each of the Association’s Novice, Atom, and Pee Wee teams. The list of winners is as follows:
NOVICE
Elite Technologies Inc.
- Most Improved – Steven Loeppky
- Most Dedicated – Sam Dyksterhuis
- Most Sportsmanlike – Jordan Green
Royal Canadian Legion
- Most Improved – Nate Bouchard
- Most Dedicated – Easton Goulet
- Most Sportsmanlike – Camden Hiscock
Pacific Northern Gas
- Most Improved – Duncan McDonell
- Most Dedicated – Ethan King
- Most Sportsmanlike – Kyrsten Brownlee
Ernie’s Sports Experts
- Most Improved – Ethan DiLeta
- Most Dedicated – Graham Battens
- Most Sportsmanlike – Travers Barrows
Sharp Instruments Ltd.
- Most Improved – Ryder Beek
- Most Dedicated – Ben Oliver
- Most Sportsmanlike – Ethan Yurdiga
Murray GM
- Most Improved – Pierce Hiltz
- Most Dedicated – Brad Shead
- Most Sportsmanlike – Julia Holtmann
Northern Spring Brake & Steering
- Most Improved – Noah Closson
- Most Dedicated – Nicholas Gordon
- Most Sportsmanlike – Gord Allin
ATOM
Alpine Glass Windows & Doors Ltd.
- Most Improved – Ashtin Barley
- Most Dedicated – Brody Mickey
- Most Sportsmanlike – Jarrett Lawson
Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre
- Most Improved – Aiden Skolos
- Most Dedicated – Jaxon Pittam
- Most Sportsmanlike – Connor Bustard
Integra Tire
- Most Improved – Jessie Pearson
- Most Dedicated – Cowyn Loney
- Most Sportsmanlike – Jackson Wilms
Northern Metalic Sales Inc.
- Most Improved – Emma McDonald
- Most Dedicated – Jayden Straub
- Most Sportsmanlike – Brianna Wagner
C4 Contracting
- Most Improved – Carson Bowler
- Most Dedicated – Zane Marston
- Most Sportsmanlike – Rhianna Arnold
Pimm’s Production Atom B Development
- Most Improved – Tristan Ferguson
- Most Dedicated – Evan Baker
- Most Sportsmanlike – Justice Davis
FSJ Rotary Society Atom A Development
- Most Improved – Jackson Toews
- Most Dedicated – Evan Gardner
- Most Sportsmanlike – Christiaan van Rensburg
PEEWEE
Opus Stewart Weir
- Most Improved – Tate Marston
- Most Dedicated – Max Banack
- Most Sportsmanlike – Jordan Skriver
Tom’s Construction
- Most Improved – Quinn Grey
- Most Dedicated – Ben Bowes
- Most Sportsmanlike – Kash Salinas
Shopper’s Drug Mart
- Most Improved – Ella Wilson
- Most Dedicated – Bobbie Zimmer
- Most Sportsmanlike – Mya Peterson
AAA Safety
- Most Improved – Mitchel McNiven
- Most Dedicated – Ben Delisi
- Most Sportsmanlike – Wyatt Moffat
VE Brandl Tier 3
- Most Improved – Ryan Bookham
- Most Dedicated – Stevan Fairlie
- Most Sportsmanlike – Shale Vandale
Ross H. MacLean Tier 2
- Most Improved – Graydon Alexander
- Most Dedicated – Caden Brown
- Most Sportsmanlike – Ethan Semeniuk
Among Bantam players, Hunter Gibb was the recipient of the Bryan Phillips Memorial Award for always showing respect to his fellow players, coaches, and officials. The Gary Flake Memorial Award winner, for demonstrating not only good sportsmanship on the ice, but also excellent citizenship off the ice, was awarded to Northern Metalic Bantam Flyers player Noah Lang. Lang and his fellow teammates and coaches were also recognized after winning the Bronze medal at Tier 2 Provincials in Powell River. The team’s achievement was the first medal earned by a Fort St. John Minor Hockey team at BC Hockey Provincials in six years.
Northern Metalic Flyers players John Herrington and Devan Minard meanwhile have made the cut for the Northern BC team that will be competing at the U16 BC Cup. The two will be playing with other players from across the province at the BC Cup in Salmon Arm, April 19th – 23rd.
Midget hockey player Ryan Whimp was awarded the MacLean-Herron Award for his work coaching his younger brother’s team. Fellow Midget player Nick Page was the winner of the Kenny Kosick Memorial Award. Midget recreation team coaches Jason Jackson and Mike Blanchette also made a special presentation to Jesus Sepulveda, who played his first year of hockey after moving to Fort St. John from Mexico. Since Sepulveda will be moving back to his home country, his coaches made and exception and presented him with his jersey from this past season to take home with him as a memento.
Paige Brown was awarded the Fort St. John Eagles Women’s Hockey team Most Dedicated Female Award. Finley Gibbs’s can-do attitude and team spirit this season earned him the Kirschner Goaltender Award. This year, the Mike Landucci Referee of the Year Award was given to Jerry Bueckert for his work helping to coach the association’s younger officials.
Stacey Forster was given the Coach of the Year Award by the Association’s Coaching Director Chris Spencer. Referee in Chief Brett McLfor his tireless work to help advance the referee program to the next level.
The final award of the night, the Hugo Brandmann Memorial Parent Volunteer Award was given to Andrea Norstrom for her work as the Coordinator of the Novice division, the largest division in the association.
