The Brooks Bandits and the Portage Terriers were the big winners at the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup (WCC) Player Awards Banquet last Friday at the Power Dodge Curling Centre.
Bandits forward Tyrell Mappin, two goals and seven points in the WCC round robin, and West Kelowna Warriors forward Brett Mennear, four goals and six points, shared the tournament’s Top Scorer award. Brooks’ Jeff Malott won the Top Forward award for his two-goal and two-assist performance in the round robin and Bandits netminder Garret Hughson took home the Top Goalie award posting a 3-0 record with one shutout and a .938 save percentage. Terriers rearguard Brett Orr, three goals and two assists, won the Top Defenceman award, while the WCC Most Valuable Player award went to Terriers captain Brad Bowles who notched two goals and five points in round-robin play.
“It’s a huge honour, especially at a tournament of this calibre,” said Bowles. “There are a lot of people deserving of it as well.”
Former NHL goaltender Glenn Allan “Chico” Resch served as emcee of the event after conducting a Hockey Ministries International breakfast for the players earlier that morning. Resch, who actually began his major junior career with an appearance in a Regina Pats away game at Estevan’s Civic Auditorium in 1967 against the Bruins, said his message to the players was just to balance out their lives physically, mentally and spiritually to gain an overall positive experience.
The WCC All-Tournament Team included Bowles, Malott and Mennear at forward, Orr and the Bandits’ Cale Makar, one goal and four assists, on defence and Hughson in net. The Warriors’ Lane Gilliss, Bandits’ Derek Lodermeier, Melfort Mustangs’ Justin Boyer and Terriers’ Chase Brakel were named to the WCC All-Academic Team.
SJHL president Bill Chow said the WCC award recipients are chosen through a tabulation process by BCHL commissioner John Grisdale, MJHL commissioner Kim Davis, AJHL commissioner Ryan Bartoshyk and himself based on player nominations from each of the participating coaches. He said these players have all made a huge commitment to their teams throughout the season to make it possible for them to be participating in the WCC and their accomplishments should be acknowledged.
Chow said the players have been able to enjoy their time in Estevan through the hard work of WCC organizing committee members Barry Bridges, Ron Areshenkoff, Warren Waldegger and Ray Frehlick. He said the City of Estevan should also be acknowledged for building a facility such as Affinity Place that is second to none making the opportunity of hosting the WCC a reality.
“It’s probably one of the nicest buildings in Western Canada, if not Canada, for junior A hockey,” said Chow. “This is the first major hockey event of this size that Estevan has hosted ever, so…they’ve done a great job of bringing in the community support, the corporate support (and) everybody has just been fantastic.”
Bowles said this was the first MVP award he has won at the Western Canada Cup, having competed in it last year as well, and a lot of the recognition should go to his teammates. He said winning the award is a nice feeling, but the main goal is leave Estevan with a spot in the RBC Cup.
