ST. PAUL - The St. Paul Jr. Canadiens have moved on to the second round of playoffs, while also collecting some well-earned accolades as the regular season came to an end.
Finishing in first place overall in the North Eastern Alberta Jr. B Hockey League (NEAJBHL), the man at the helm of the team's success - head coach Corey deMoissac - was honoured with this year's Coach of the Year award.
Acknowledging that this season's success was no doubt a team effort, deMoissac was quick to thank all those who have been part of the team.
"It's just not me, it's all the players and the coaching staff and general manager and organization," said deMoissac. "This award has my name on it but there's 40 other people whose names can be on it for sure."
When asked if he takes any specific approach to coaching - whether it's coaching the Junior B team or his own daughters in minor hockey, deMoissac says, "You preach hard work, but at the end of the day you've got to make sure that everyone is having fun and wanting to continue and be successful and that starts with making sure that things are fun. That's what the game is all about."
When presenting the award, Derrik Germain, president of the club, described deMoisssac as one of the most dedicated coaches he knew. He's coached and played at the minor hockey level throughout his life, is a vice-principal at St. Paul Regional High School, and an asset to the hockey community.
Also receiving awards from the league this year is Quinn Szpak, who got both Rookie of the Year and Top Scorer in the NEAJBHL.
Szpak made a difference the second he stepped on the ice with the Canadiens, according to Germain. Szpak's hometown is Fort McMurray and is described by Germain "as a spark in the room, spark on the ice."
Mitchel Webb also received the Top Goalie award from the NEAJBHL. Webb comes from Muskoka, Ont., and previously played in the Div II Swedish league. He boasted a 2.13 goals against average and 0.911 save percentage.
Two other league awards were handed out. Defenceman of the Year went to Lloydminster Bandits' Kade Dennett and MVP went to the Bandits' Joel Webb.
Playoffs
The St. Paul Canadiens have eliminated the Onion Lake Border Chiefs in four straight games. The four teams moving on to the next round of playoffs will be the Canadiens, Wainwright Bisons, Vermilion Tigers, and Bandits.
