The Alberta Junior Hockey League, in partnership with RBC, is pleased to announce the recipients of seven major awards. The award winners are determined through three stages of voting by the General Managers and Coaches of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
The annual awards include Most Valuable Player, Top Forward, Rookie of the Year, Outstanding Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Most Dedicated Player and Coach of the Year.
Most Valuable Player (Alberta Old Time Hockey Players Trophy) and Top Goaltender (Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey League Trophy)
Whitecourt Wolverines goaltender Zac Onyskiw is the 2024-25 AJHL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and recipient of the Top Goaltender award. The four-year AJHL veteran led the league with a 1.87 GAA and .939 save percentage and recorded the most wins of all AJHL netminders in the regular season with a record of 26-7-1-3.
“The Wolverines are extremely proud of Zac for capturing these awards,” said General Manager Shawn Martin, “he has worked extremely hard to achieve this. Zac is the first Whitecourt Wolverine to win the League AJHL MVP Award and the first goaltender to do it in a decade.”
Onyskiw (Edmonton, AB) was recognized as the Viterra AJHL Player of the Game ten times and awarded as the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week in October 2024 amidst an eight-game win streak spanning from October 9th -November 8th, 2024. Zac compiled a five-game win streak heading into the Holiday Break in December 2024 and concluded the season with wins in eight of his last ten games.
Wolverines goaltenders Zac Onyskiw (MacEwan University) and Elliott Pratt (Robert Morris University) were the 2024-25 recipients of the Top Team Goaltenders award, which is presented annually to the goaltenders of the AJHL team with the lowest goals against average in the regular season. The Wolverines allowed a league-best 124 goals against with a 2.29 GAA to earn the Top Team Goaltenders award for the second consecutive season.
Whitecourt finished the season with a record of 36-12-3-3 (W-L-OTL-SOL) and 78 points, tied with the Calgary Canucks who were awarded the regular season title as determined through the tie-breaker formula.
The annual Top Goaltender award is presented to the goalie who demonstrated the greatest ability in his position throughout the season. This is the second consecutive Top Goaltender award for the Whitecourt Wolverines following Ben Charette (Harvard University) in 2023-24.
- 2024-2025 AJHL MVP Award Finalists: Vincent Filion – Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Zac Onyskiw – Whitecourt Wolverines, Jack Plandowski – Calgary Canucks, Alex Scheiwiller – Canmore Eagles
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Luka Sukovic – Bonnyville Pontiacs
- 2024-2025 Top Goaltender Award Finalists: Nicholas Jones – Grande Prairie Storm, Zac Onyskiw – Whitecourt Wolverines, Alex Scheiwiller – Canmore Eagles, Sean Cootes – Drumheller Dragons
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Ben Charette – Whitecourt Wolverines
Top Forward Award
Alberta Junior Hockey League leading scorer, Jack Plandowski of the Calgary Canucks, is the winner of the 2024-25 AJHL Top Forward award. Plandowski also captured the Ernie Love Trophy as 2024-25 AJHL Scoring Champion and the Leading Goal Scorer award with 79 points (34G, 45A) in the regular season.
Jack Plandowski (Halifax, NS) averaged 1.58 points per game while accumulating no penalty minutes throughout the regular season. He recorded 24 multi-point games, three hat tricks and six game winning goals for the Canucks. The 19 year-old forward was named the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game seven times in the regular season and was twice recognized as the Canalta Hotels AJHL Player of the Week. Jack was also a finalist for the 2024-25 AJHL Most Valuable Player award
Plandowski represented the AJHL and Canada as a member of Team Canada West at the 2024 Junior A World Challenge, capturing a bronze medal in the international competition.
The Calgary Canucks captured the Dave Duchak Trophy as 2024-25 Alberta Junior Hockey League Regular Season Champions and will hold the top-seed throughout the 2025 Inter Pipeline Cup AJHL Playoffs. Plandowski was a member of the 2024 Inter Pipeline Cup AJHL Championship team.
The AJHL Top Forward award recognizes the forward who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position throughout the season.
- 2024-2025 Award Finalists: Tomis Marinkovic – Grande Prairie Storm, Jalen Bianchet – Whitecourt Wolverines, Jack Plandowski – Calgary Canucks, Bradley Gallo – Drumheller Dragons
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Luka Sukovic – Bonnyville Pontiacs
Rookie of the Year (Dick White Trophy) Presented by Canalta Hotels
Drumheller Dragons forward Easton Daneault is the recipient of the Dick White Trophy as AJHL Rookie of the Year. The 16 year-old recorded 56 points through 54 games, tied for first among rookies in the 2024-25 season.
Despite being just 16 years-old, Daneault plays in all situations for the Dragons and has asserted himself as one of the top players in the league. Easton ranked seventh in the AJHL Scoring Race with an average of 1.04 points per game and 56 points (21G, 35A), including 24 points on the Dragons powerplay.
Daneault (Red Deer, AB) was recognized as the Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week in back-to-back awards (December 9th-15th, 2024 and December 16th-22nd, 2024) when he recorded ten points over four games in that time period. He was an impact player for the Dragons throughout the regular season, scoring five game winning goals and earning five Viterra AJHL Player of the Game selections.
Daneault is committed to Merrimack College (NCAA Division I) and is a prospect of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. Easton appeared in six regular season games for the Hurricanes this season.
- 2024-2025 Award Finalists: Porter Byrd Leitner – Bonnyville Pontiacs, Cooper Moore – Lloydminster Bobcats, Nathan Maloney – Calgary Canucks, Easton Daneault – Drumheller Dragons
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Joey Melo – Whitecourt Wolverines
Outstanding Defenceman (W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy) Presented by the Alberta Ford Dealers
Nathan Maloney of the Calgary Canucks is the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Outstanding Defenceman and recipient of the W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy. The award recognizes the defensive player who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position throughout the season.
Maloney (Strathmore, AB) led all AJHL defencemen with 40 points (13G, 27A), ranking eighth among AJHL rookies. The 2006-born rookie played top-end minutes as a member of the Canucks league-leading penalty kill and powerplay units. Maloney was also a finalist for the 2024-25 AJHL Rookie of the Year award.
In December 2024, Nathan represented the AJHL at the Junior A World Challenge and was a bronze medallist with Team Canada West.
Nathan Maloney (Quinnipiac University) was the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Player of the Month for February 2025 after recording 16 points in eight games for the Canucks including five multi-point games. Over the course of three consecutive weeks, he was selected as the recipient of the Canalta Hotels AJHL Player of the Week, Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week, and Alberta Ford Dealers Defensive Player of the Week.
- 2024-2025 Award Finalists: Logan Cunningham – Grande Prairie Storm, Xavier Lacoste – Whitecourt Wolverines, Nathan Maloney – Calgary Canucks, Tate Yule – Drumheller Dragons
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Brody Mortensen – Canmore Eagles
Most Dedicated Player (Don McNabb Memorial Trophy)
The winner of the Don McNabb Memorial Trophy as Most Dedicated Player is Devon Xtreme Captain Jaxson Martin. The award is presented annually to the player who is voted as the most dedicated to his team by the General Managers and Coaches of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Martin, 20, led the Xtreme from the blueline after being named Captain mid-way through the 2024-25 season. The Calgary, Alberta defenceman returned to the AJHL for his final season of Junior A after spending the previous season in the SJHL. Through three seasons of Junior hockey, Martin played 100 AJHL games and 52 SJHL games.
“We are so proud of Jaxson,” stated Devon Xtreme General Manager Kelly Buchberger. “His dedication and commitment to play this game is unmatched. He never took a day off. His passion for the game was infectious to his teammates, which will build a solid foundation for the future! We thank Jaxson for his leadership and wish him all the best in the future.”
The 2024-25 season was the inaugural season for the AJHL’s expansion franchise in Devon, AB.
- 2024-2025 Award Finalists: Jaxson Martin – Devon Xtreme, Braden Keeble – Whitecourt Wolverines, Rhett Dekowny – Canmore Eagles, Tate Yule – Drumheller Dragons
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Nicolas Beaudoin – Bonnyville Pontiacs
Coach of the Year
The AJHL Coach of the Year is first-year Head Coach Chris Schmidt of the Grande Prairie Storm. Schmidt led the Storm to a second-place finish in the Viterra AJHL North Division, the highest finish since the 2009-10 AJHL season.
“The Grande Prairie Storm organization would like to congratulate coach Chris Schmidt on being named AJHL Coach of the Year,” stated General Manager Mark Bomersback. “It’s very well deserving and as an organization we couldn’t be happier for him. His hard work and dedication have rubbed off on everyone and has led to a very strong culture within the team and players. We look forward to seeing him and the team succeed for the remainder of this year and years to come. Congrats Schmidty!”
Schmidt was promoted to Head Coach after three years with the team as an Assistant Coach. Prior to joining the Storm, the 49 year-old served as the Head Coach for the U18AAA team in Grande Prairie for four seasons.
Schmidt (Beaver Lodge, AB) was drafted by the LA Kings in the fifth round of the 1994 NHL Draft. After playing four years with Seattle (WHL), he went on to enjoy a successful 17-year professional hockey career. Chris played for the LA Kings in the 2002-03 season and represented the Canadian National Team in 1999-2000. He spent eight years playing in Germany, competing in two World Championships, as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for Team Germany.
Schmidt is joined on the Storm Coaching Staff by Assistant Coaches Jordan McTaggart and Brandon Wells as well as General Manager Mark Bomersback.
- 2024-2025 Award Finalists: Chris Schmidt – Grande Prairie Storm, Jeff Woywitka – Lloydminster Bobcats, Andrew Milne – Canmore Eagles, Kevin Hasselberg – Drumheller Dragons
- 2023-2024 Award Winner: Shawn Martin – Whitecourt Wolverines
The winners of the following league awards and scholarships will also be announced throughout the 2025 Inter Pipeline Cup AJHL Playoffs.
- Viterra Star of the Game Standings Leader – Viterra Cup
- Viterra All-League and All-Rookie Team
- Inter Pipeline AJHL All-Academic Team
- RBC AJHL Community Ambassadors
- Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoff MVP
- AJHL Executive of the Year – Ken Bracko Award
- AJHL Broadcaster of the Year
- Viterra Salute to Service Volunteer Award
- Inter Pipeline AJHL Scholarship
- RBC Community Ambassador Scholarship
