The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), in partnership with RBC, today announced the winners of three League awards, including Outstanding Defenceman, Top Goaltender and Most Dedicated Player. Sherwood Park Crusaders defenceman Michael Benning and goaltender Carter Gylander have been awarded as the top player in their respective positions, and Okotoks Oilers forward Marc Pasemko is the winner of the Most Dedicated Player award.
Top Goaltender – Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey League Trophy
Carter Gylander of the Sherwood Park Crusaders is the recipient of the Friends of AJHL Trophy as the Top Goaltender for the 2019-20 season. The annual award is presented to the goalie who demonstrated the greatest ability in his position throughout the season.
Gylander tops all AJHL goaltenders with a league leading 2.10 GAA and .923 save percentage. The 18 year-old is in his second full season with the Crusaders and boasts a 33-5-0 record in 2019-20. He was awarded as the Viterra AJHL Star of Game six times and received the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week award twice in the regular season. The Crusaders have allowed the fewest goals of all AJHL teams this season (127).
Carter Gylander (Beaumont, AB) represented the AJHL and Canada as a member of Team Canada West at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge and the 2019 Junior Club World Cup in Russia.
Carter is a 7th round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings and has committed to Colgate University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I for the 2020-21 season.
- 2019-2020 Award Finalists: Pierce Charleson – Brooks Bandits, Brady Parker – Okotoks Oilers, Vincent Duplessis – Whitecourt Wolverines, Carter Gylander – Sherwood Park Crusaders
- 2018-2019 Award Winner: Luke Lush – Drayton Valley Thunder
Outstanding Defenceman – W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy, Presented by the Alberta Ford Dealers
Sherwood Park defenceman and NHL top prospect, Michael Benning, has been selected as 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.
Benning (St. Albert, AB) leads all AJHL defencemen in points (74) and assists (62) and is 13th overall in the AJHL Scoring Race. The 18 year-old averages 1.4 points per game, and is currently marked to enter the AJHL Record Book in fourth place for Most Assists by a Defenceman. The second-year Crusader was twice recognized as the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week and as the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game five times in 2019-20.
Michael was ranked at #60 in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings and was selected to participate in the 2020 CJHL Prospects Game in January. He was a member of Team Canada West at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge in December and Team AJHL at the 2019 Junior Club World Cup in Russia last August.
Benning has committed to the University of Denver in the NCAA (Division I) for the 2021-22 season.
- 2019-2020 Award Finalists: Tim Rego – Brooks Bandits, Eric Parker – Okotoks Oilers, Adam Sandstrom – Whitecourt Wolverines, Michael Benning – Sherwood Park Crusaders
- 2018-2019 Award Winner: TJ Lloyd – Spruce Grove Saints
Most Dedicated Player – Don McNabb Memorial Trophy
Marc Pasemko of the Okotoks Oilers is the recipient of the Don McNabb Memorial Trophy as Most Dedicated Player. The award is presented annually to the player voted as the most dedicated to his team.
Okotoks Oilers General Manager & Head Coach Tyler Deis says Pasemko has developed from an affiliate player to a strong offensive leader in the AJHL and a community ambassador off the ice. ?As a three-year AJHL player, Marc?s dedication and commitment to not only his on-ice development, but his academics and community involvement has led him to become one of the most well-respected and recognized players in Okotoks Oilers history.?
?Marc has embraced our town and the AJHL through his dedication to the people within and is the utmost deserving of this prestigious award. Despite multiple injuries, Marc?s relentless commitment and perseverance propelled him to third in all-time franchise points and second in all-time franchise assists. Marc’s dedication has earned him a well-deserved opportunity to play at the post-secondary level with Colorado College next season where he will represent the Okotoks Oilers and the AJHL with pride and respect.?
?We would like to congratulate Marc on this award and thank him for his years of service and dedication.?
Pasemko, 20, will finish the year at second in team scoring with 71 points (25G, 46A) and is currently 15th overall in the AJHL Scoring Race. Marc earned the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game award five times in 2019-20 and was also named the Canalta Hotels AJHL Player of the Week (January 13-19, 2020).
Marc Pasemko (Edmonton, AB) will attend and play for Colorado College in the 2020-21 Season.
- 2019-2020 Award Finalists: Connor Lyons – Canmore Eagles, Marc Pasemko – Okotoks Oilers, Joel Ray – Bonnyville Pontiacs, Matthew Kinash – Drayton Valley Thunder
- 2018-2019 Award Winner: Kyle Gordon – Okotoks Oilers
The award recipients will be recognized at a home game in the opening series of the 2020 Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs. All award winners are determined through three stages of voting by the General Managers and Coaches of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
The following League Awards and Scholarships will also be presented following the completion of the regular season.
- 2019-2020 Viterra All League and All Rookie Team
- Regular Season Champion – Dave Duchak Trophy
- Scoring Champion – Ernie Love Trophy
- Top Team Goaltenders – CCM Top Team Goaltenders Award
- Viterra Star of the Game Standings Leader – Viterra Cup
- Finning Canada Powerplay Leader
- RBC Community Ambassador Award
- Stewy Stewart Memorial Award – Stewy Stewart Memorial Trophy
- Viterra Salute to Service Volunteer Award ? North & South Division Recipients
- Merit Scholarship ? North & South Division Recipients
- Inter Pipeline AJHL Scholarship
- Finning Canada AJHL Scholarship