KIJHL Divisional Award Winners Announced

The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League has announced its Divisional Award winners for the 2021/22 season.

Honours have been awarded in seven categories for the Doug Birks, Eddie Mountain, Neil Murdoch and Bill Ohlhausen divisions: Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player and Coach of the Year. An overall KIJHL winner will be selected from the four divisional winners in each category and be announced following the first round of the 2022 KIJHL playoffs.

Individuals from a total of 14 teams were recognized with divisional awards, with the Nelson Leafs leading the way with a total of five winners. The Neil Murdoch Division’s regular season champs were followed closely by the Kimberley Dynamiters (four), Kamloops Storm (three) and Osoyoos Coyotes (three).

KIJHL regular season scoring leader Jack Henderson nabbed Ohlhausen Division MVP honours, while Trystan Self, who led all KIJHL goaltenders in wins with 22 and tied for the lead in shutouts with six, has been named the MVP of the Mountain Division as well as its Top Goaltender. The league’s top four points scorers were all recognized, with Kayde Kinaschuk and Tristan Weill earning Rookie of the Year nods in the Mountain and Ohlhausen divisions, while Jacob Biensch was tabbed as the MVP of the Doug Birks Division.

A full list of divisional award winners in each category is below.

Most Valuable Player

Eddie Mountain Division: Trystan Self, G, Kimberley Dynamiters
Neil Murdoch Division: Griffen Ryden, F, Castlegar Rebels
Doug Birks Division: Jacob Biensch, F, Chase Heat
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Jack Henderson, F, Osoyoos Coyotes


Top Scorer

Eddie Mountain Division: Kayde Kinaschuk, F, Columbia Valley Rockies
Neil Murdoch Division: Hayden Stocks, F, Beaver Valley Nitehawks
Doug Birks Division: Jacob Biensch, F, Chase Heat
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Jack Henderson, F, Osoyoos Coyotes


Top Defenceman

Eddie Mountain Division: Cameron Reid, D, Kimberley Dynamiters
Neil Murdoch Division: Bryce Sookro, D, Nelson Leafs
Doug Birks Division: Brandon Gallo, D, Revelstoke Grizzlies
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Ty Marchant, D, Kelowna Chiefs


Top Goaltender

Eddie Mountain Division: Trystan Self, G, Kimberley Dynamiters
Neil Murdoch Division: Dylan Marshall, G, Nelson Leafs
Doug Birks Division: Colton Phillips-Watts, G, Kamloops Storm
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Frederick Larochelle, G, Kelowna Chiefs


Rookie of the Year

Eddie Mountain Division: Kayde Kinaschuk, F, Columbia Valley Rockies
Neil Murdoch Division: Bryce Sookro, D, Nelson Leafs
Doug Birks Division: Zakery Anderson, F, Kamloops Storm
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Tristan Weill, F, Summerland Steam


Most Sportsmanlike Player

Eddie Mountain Division: Corbin Cockerill, F, Creston Valley Thunder Cats
Neil Murdoch Division: Tyson Lautard, D, Nelson Leafs
Doug Birks Division: Reid Stumpf, F, 100 Mile House Wranglers
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Matthew Johnston, F, North Okanagan Knights


Coach of the Year

Eddie Mountain Division: Derek Stuart, HC, Kimberley Dynamiters
Neil Murdoch Division: Mario DiBella, HC, Nelson Leafs
Doug Birks Division: Geoff Grimwood, HC, Kamloops Storm
Bill Ohlhausen Division: Carter Rigby, HC, Osoyoos Coyotes