He's no longer a Bronco, but Matt Hrynkiw is going out with a bang.
The former star goaltender with Humboldt won the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Top Goaltender Award on May 8.
It was a great way to go out for Hrynkiw, who has retired from the Broncos and will be attending the University of North Dakota in the fall. The 20-year-old will have four years of eligibility with North Dakota, an NCAA Division I school.
Hrynkiw beat out nine other goalies from leagues across Canada to claim the prize, which was awarded for the first time this year.
Hrynkiw spent three years with the Broncos, but it was his last that was by far the most impressive. This past season Hrynkiw posted a record of 27-11 with six shutouts, a 1.83 goals against average and a 0.939 save percentage.
Hrynkiw's name peppered the leader boards of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He led the league in goals against average, save percentage and shutouts. By comparison he slacked off in wins, only finishing second.
Despite those gaudy statistics, Hrynkiw didn't hold out much hope of winning.
"I knew the guy from Ontario (Charlie Finn) was really good, so I didn't think I had much of a chance," Hrynkiw said from home in Saskatoon. "Then I started to get weird texts from friends talking about goalie of the year."
In his office at the Elgar Petersen Arena, Broncos coach and general manager Dean Brockman spoke about his reaction to the award.
"We were very happy for Matt and it was well deserved," Brockman said. "He was exceptional for us all year and it's great for him to be recognized like that."
Asked how Hrynkiw managed to become the top goalie in Canada, Brockman pointed to dedication and repetition.
"It was a combination of experience and how hard he works," Brockman said. "Matt's the type of kid who wants to prove himself all the time."
He will have to prove himself all over again when he arrives in Grand Forks in the fall. Hrynkiw projects to be the third goalie on the depth chart, a position that usually features a lot of sitting on the bench with a baseball cap on.
"You have to worry about your own game and overtake people," Hrynkiw said, noting that he competed against many other goalies while with the Broncos.
Hrynkiw will travel to Grand Forks in June for a visit before moving there permanently in August. North Dakota has appeared in the Frozen Four 19 times and won seven national championships. The team plays its home games at Ralph Engelstad Arena, a 12,000 seat building that Hrynkiw called "a spectacle."
It will be a step up in many ways, but Hrynkiw doesn't seem worried about the on-ice competition. It's the off-ice responsibility of a full course load that seems most daunting.
"I've had friends tell me that first year is tough," Hrynkiw said.
Each of the ten junior leagues nominated one player for each award. The list was then whittled down to five before a winner was chosen from that group.
The other awards handed out by the CJHL were:
Most Valuable Player and Top Forward Award - Michael Pontarelli, Cornwall Colts;
Top Defenceman Award - Patrick McCarron, St. Michael's Buzzers;
Rookie of the Year Award - Tristan Keck, Winkler Flyers.
