OLDS — Goaltender Ben Dardis was named Most Valuable Player and forward Michael Albert was named the Top Teammate during the Olds Grizzlys’ annual awards banquet.
In total, seven awards were handed out during the banquet, held Feb. 22 at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites.
Jonathan Doucette received the Rookie of the Year award. The Defenceman of the Year award went to Keil Schmaltz. The Most Dedicated Player award went to Hunter Motley and Aidyn Law was named the Most Sportsmanlike Player. Jaxson Doyle received the Community Player of the Year award.
MVP
Head coach Brad Tobin noted that goaltender Dardis joined the team a little while after the season began.
“(He) started off really well and just continued to get better and better,” he said.
Tobin said as of Saturday, Dardis had two shootout wins, having stopped 19 of 20 shots.
He also had two shutout wins this season.
“It's the most by an Olds Grizzly since 2014 to 2015,” Tobin said.
Top teammate
Tobin described Albert as “a player that's obviously there every day.”
“He brings it during games, in practice, in training; all around good guy. He'd do anything for anyone, any players out there.”
Rookie of the Year
As of Saturday, Doucette was ranked sixth in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) rookie scoring race and was tied for 12th in Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) power-play goals, having scored 12 goals and picked up 26 assists.
Defenceman of the Year
Tobin said Schmaltz played in all game situations.
“(He) played PK, played on the powerplay with two goals, seven assists,” he said.
Most Dedicated Player
Tobin noted that Motley played in all situations throughout the season.
“He was relied on as a centreman, (played on the) PK,” Tobin said.
“He was one of the guys that was always over the boards first all the time. He's found a scoring touch the last couple games as well.”
Most Sportsmanlike Player
“(This award) usually comes down to a lot of penalty minutes, Tobin said, sparking some laughter.
“But this player, throughout the year, he's been he's played quite a few games, no penalty minutes.”
Community Player of the Year
Tobin said many Grizzlys players racked up a lot of volunteer hours and participated in a lot of events.
However, Doyle “just stood out a little bit above the rest.”
20-year-olds move on
As 20-year-olds, two Grizzlys will be aging out of junior A hockey when the season ends in a few weeks. They are Dardis and forward Aiden Knutson.
Tobin noted that Knutson came to the team halfway through this season after spending two-and-a half seasons with Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
“It isn't always easy joining a new team mid-season, but Aiden embraced the challenge and quickly became a valued teammate for the Olds Grizzlys,” Tobin said.
“As he moves forward to new opportunities, I have no doubt that these same qualities will lead to success in the next chapter of his life.”
Tobin descried Dardis as “a very dedicated goaltender.”
“I think he's left a lasting impression, both on and off the ice with a lot of you people that have been to a lot of games this season,” he said.
“His hard work and his determination has been inspiring. He's definitely shown leadership and a commitment to the Grizzlys.
“So for him, same thing: look forward to what he can do next in future endeavours, whether it be in hockey or in life.”
Hot Stove
The night ended with a Hot Stove segment.
It featured three-time, all-star and former Coach of the Year Brian Sutter of Viking and Jay Beagle of Calgary, who won a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018.
Olds resident and former NHL player Jay Rosehill served as moderator.
They each reminisced about highlights from their careers in the game.
Sutter and Beagle said, like Rosehill, they were really impressed with the Four Nations Faceoff, after initially being skeptical that it would be worthwhile watching.
They also agreed that all players see the all-star games as “a joke” and that the Four Nations Faceoff, featuring four of the top hockey powers in the world, is a real improvement.
“I thought it was absolutely incredible,” Sutter said. “It was really neat to see the emotion, to feel emotion, and the intensity.”
Beagle agreed.
He said he knew a couple of guys who played in that series. He’s still friends with them and texted with them afterward.
“They said, it's just an experience that they'll never forget,” Beagle said. “And to hear that from the best of the best in the league, it's pretty cool, for sure.”
