Given how instrumental both Kale Thomson and Chase Norrish were to their own individual successes as well as the Terriers RBC Cup run, it was no surprise when the blueline/goalie combo were named co-MVP's for the 2013/14 Yorkton Terriers season.
Norrish was a crucial factor in Kale Thomson's CJHL Goaltender of the Year nomination as well as SJHL Top Goaltender of the Year honors, manning the Terriers blueline that was arguably the best in the country along with twin Brother Brady who was the 2012/13 Terriers MVP to allow the least goals in the league this season.
In addition to being a stingy defender thanks to his fast skating, Norrish also scored nine goals and registered 45 points in the SJHL regular season before turning things up in the playoffs where he was Yorkton's MVP. Scoring numerous overtime winners to help Yorkton win the SJHL title with just two losses, Norrish scored seven goals in total along with eight assists for 15 playoff points. In the WCC/RBC Norrish continued to show his scoring touch, putting the puck in the back of the net three more times to end his Terriers career as a National Champion.
Norrish says that he is proud to end his Terriers season as a National Champion over any individual accolade. "It is nice to win the MVP, but I think I will enjoy the memories I made in winning the RBC Cup with so many great teammates."
Thomson enjoyed success in his only full year as the number one goalie for the Terriers, taking control of the full role of starter after splitting time with Dawson MacAuley to end his Junior career amongst the country's best goaltenders at the Junior A level, even setting the SJHL record for career shutouts in the process while posting a 1.89 goals against average in the regular season.
Thomson, a Yorkton native saved his best performance for the SJHL Finals, allowing just three goals total in a four game sweep over the rival Melville Millionaires to lift the Canalta Cup for the first time as a starter. His numbers dipped in the Westerns as well as the RBC Cup after battling with the flu, but Thomson stepped his game up when it mattered the most in a long string of elimination games to get the team to the National Championship. After spending his whole Junior career with Yorkton, Kale is also glad to go out on top, even more so considering his Yorkton roots.
"Being from Yorkton it is always a dream to go and win the RBC Cup with the team never winning the big championship," says Thomson. "We knew we would be expected to win the league so it was our big goal to go out and prove that we could win it and we did which is a great way to end our careers."
Norrish will be heading to the NCAA D-I's RIT Tigers while Thomson is currently weighing out post-secondary options for hockey after a strong final season with the Terriers, both going out as a key fixtures in the team's most memorable season.
