Photo Credit – Pro Sports Photography:
The Alberta Junior Hockey League, in partnership with RBC, today announced Dylan Holloway of the Okotoks Oilers as the 2018-19 AJHL MVP. Carter Savoie (Sherwood Park Crusaders) was named as AJHL Rookie of the Year and Brooks Bandits Head Coach Ryan Papaioannou has been selected as AJHL Coach of the Year.
The award winners are determined through three stages of voting by the General Managers and Coaches of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Most Valuable Player- Alberta Old Time Hockey Players Trophy
Okotoks Oilers centre and NHL top prospect, Dylan Holloway, is the 2018-19 AJHL MVP and recipient of the Alberta Old Time Hockey Players trophy.
Holloway, 17, leads the AJHL in scoring with 88 points (40G, 48A) and has averaged 1.7 points per game. Dylan recorded 28 multi-point games for the Oilers, including five 4-point games, scored six game winning goals, and was selected as the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game 13 times. He is a key member of the Oilers leadership group as an alternate captain and in October 2018 was recognized as the AJHL and CJHL Player of the Month.
Dylan Holloway (Bragg Creek, AB) won a gold medal with Canada at the 2018 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and represented Canada as a member of Team West at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge. The University of Wisconsin commit participated in the 2019 CJHL Prospects Game despite being a year away from draft eligibility.
Okotoks has locked in a second-place finish in the Viterra AJHL South Division standings and secured a first round match-up with the Calgary Canucks in the 2019 Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs
? 2018-2019 Award Finalists: Dylan Holloway – Okotoks Oilers, William Lemay – Brooks Bandits, Luke Lush – Drayton Valley Thunder, Reed Morison ? Fort McMurray Oil Barons
? 2017-2018 Award Winner: Chris Van Os-Shaw – Spruce Grove Saints
Rookie of the Year – Dick White Trophy, Presented by Canalta Hotels
Sherwood Park Crusaders forward Carter Savoie has captured the Dick White Trophy as AJHL Rookie of the Year for 2018-19. Savoie entered the AJHL as a 16 year-old and posted remarkable numbers to lead his team in scoring with 72 points, currently 5th overall in the AJHL Scoring Race.
Savoie (St Albert, AB) leads all AJHL rookies in scoring with 30 goals, 42 assists and an average of 1.3 points per game. Along the way, Carter recorded 19 multi-point games, and scored 7 game winning goals to earn eight Viterra AJHL Star of the Game selections. The 17 year-old was awarded as the Canalta Hotels AJHL Player of the Week in both October 2018 and November 2018.
Savoie is committed to the University of Denver (NCAA Division I) for the 2021-22 season. He was one of only four 2002-born players invited to the Team Canada West Selection Camp for the 2018 World Junior A Challenge.
Savoie and the Crusaders have captured first place in the Viterra AJHL North Division to earn a first-round bye in the 2019 Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs.
? 2018-2019 Award Finalists: Roc Truman – Drumheller Dragons, Brady Parker – Okotoks Oilers, Carter Savoie – Sherwood Park Crusaders, Matt Davis – Spruce Grove Saints
? 2017-2018 Award Winner: Zachary Okabe – Grande Prairie Storm
Coach of the Year, Presented by Finning Canada
Brooks Bandits General Manager / Head Coach Ryan Papaioannou is the 2018-19 Alberta Junior Hockey League Coach of the Year. Papaioannou has led the Bandits to the most successful regular season in Alberta Junior Hockey League history by becoming the first team to ever record 110 points in the standings.
The Brooks Bandits (55-3) have compiled a record 31 consecutive wins, smashing the previous record of 24, with two regular season games still remaining. The team has one record left to break as no team in AJHL history has ever recorded fewer than four losses in a single season.
?Coach Papaioannou has been integral to the evolution of our organization into a repeat national contender and this record-breaking season has been a direct result of his remarkable qualities as a coach,? said Bandits Governor Paul Seaton. ?His tireless efforts, work ethic, dedication to excellence, emotion and determination have been a constant source of inspiration for our staff and players.?
?The effects of his work are not only seen in the team?s winning records and scholarship commitments, but also in the way he has transformed our team into esteemed community ambassadors. The respect he commands from his players converts to the collective and unified effort that has been instrumental in our team achievements. We consider him to be a most deserving recipient of this award and are delighted to congratulate him on this recognition by his coaching peers.?
Papaioannou, 35, previously won the AJHL Coach of the Year award in 2012-13, which led to his being named CJHL Coach of the Year. Since taking over the coaching reigns in 2009-10, Papaioannou has recorded more than 400 regular season wins and more than 500 overall wins, leading the team to four AJHL championships.
The Bandits have earned a first round bye in the 2019 Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs as the top team in the Viterra AJHL South Division.
? 2018-2019 Award Finalists: Ryan Papaioannou – Brooks Bandits, Kevin Hasselberg – Drumheller Dragons, Eric Thurston – Drayton Valley Thunder, Rick Swan – Bonnyville Pontiacs
? 2017-2018 Award Winner: Tyler Deis – Okotoks Oilers
The award recipients will be presented with a trophy and recognized at a home game throughout the final weekend of the AJHL regular season and the opening games of the 2019 Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs.
The following League Awards and Scholarships will also be presented at the completion of the regular season.
? Regular Season Champion – Dave Duchak Trophy
? Scoring Champion – Ernie Love Trophy
? Top Team Goaltenders – CCM Top Team Goaltenders Award
? 2018-2019 Viterra All League and All Rookie Team
? Viterra Star of the Game Standings Leader – Viterra Cup
? Finning Canada Powerplay Leader
? Stewy Stewart Memorial Award – Stewy Stewart Memorial Trophy
? Viterra Salute to Service Volunteer Award ? North & South Division Recipients
? Inter Pipeline AJHL Scholarship
? Finning Canada Scholarship