Overall Award Winners – MVP, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year

The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is pleased to announce its Overall Award Winners for the 2022-23 regular season.

Honours have been handed out in seven categories: Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player and Coach of the Year. 

Today we announce the winners for Most Valuable Player, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender and Rookie of the Year. Winners were selected in a vote conducted by the league’s head coaches.

 

Most Valuable Player

Luke Chakrabarti

Creston Valley Thunder Cats

The White Rock, B.C. product led the league with 78 points in 41 games and was only held pointless in seven games. Chakrabarti hit 100 career points on Jan. 18 against the Columbia Valley Rockies and finished second overall in goals (39) and fifth in assists with 39. 

Finalists: Nathan Dominici (Beaver Valley Nitehawks), Jack Henderson (Osoyoos Coyotes) and Carter Bettenson (Revelstoke Grizzlies).

Top Defenceman

Cam Reid

Kimberley Dynamiters

Reid enjoyed a tremendous season with his hometown Dynamiters leading all defencemen with 15 goals and was fifth in assists with 25. Of Reid’s 15 goals, six were winners and he had 24 power-play points. Reid also contributed to the Dynamiters being among the top defensive teams as they finished with the third fewest goals allowed with 106. He was a plus-16 while playing an average of 24:26 a game.

Finalists: Tyson Lautard (Nelson Leafs), Curtis Gould (Princeton Posse) and Nicholas Hughes (Sicamous Eagles)

Top Goaltender

Jozef Kuchaslo

Revelstoke Grizzlies

Kuchaslo was among four goalies who finished with 16 wins this season. He teamed up with Owen Albers to help the Grizzlies win their division with 30 victories, while playing 1,557 minutes, stopping 724 of 778 shots for a .931 SP and a 2.08 GAA. The Mission, B.C. product set new career highs in wins and shutouts (five).

Finalists: Trystan Self (Kimberley Dynamiters), Connor Stojan (Beaver Valley Nitehawks) and Peyton Trzaska (Princeton Posse)

Rookie of the Year

Keenan Ingram

Columbia Valley Rockies

The Calgary product led all KIJHL rookies in goals (43) and assists (31) for 74 points in 41 games, while averaging 1.80 points per game. His totals also placed him second overall among point-producers. He averaged 17:02 of ice time per game, including 3:56 on the power-play and represented Team KIJHL in the BCHC Prospects Game. His longest point streak was 14 games in which he had 18 goals and 12 assists. He finished the regular season on a six-game points streak with six goals and eight assists. 

Finalists: Russell Kosec (Grand Forks Border Bruins), Austin Seibel (North Okanagan Knights) and Owen Aura, Kamloops Storm)