Division Award Winners

RBC PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Josh Rieger
Estevan Bruins
It has been a career year for Estevan Bruins’ defenceman Josh Rieger as the three-year veteran has set personal bests in goals (13), assists (27) and points (40). The Regina product has been used in all situations having scored twice and assisted 16 times while the Bruins were on the power-play in addition to netting one short-handed marker and collecting five game- winning tallies. Rieger, who at 20 years of age is in his final season of junior hockey, has also added some grit with 108 minutes in penalties entering the final week of the regular season.

Ben Duperreault
Notre Dame Hounds
His first full season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League after spending parts of three seasons in the Western Hockey League has been productive as Ben Duperreault has held the individual scoring lead the entire season entering the final week of the regular schedule. The homegrown Wilcox product had 36 goals and 40 assists with three games to go and his play has helped the Hounds make a run for a top-six position entering the playoffs.

Greyson Reitmeier
Flin Flon Bombers
1996 F Greyson Reitmeier (Nakusp BC) has a tantalizing set of tools as a hockey player. He possesses the size, speed, skill, toughness, and character that all scouts are searching for when unearthing the next big thing. Reitmeier has steadily improved in each of his three seasons and after November 1st of this season, he was the league’s best in just about every area.

SGEU MOST VALUABLE PLAYER FINALISTS

Josh Rieger
Estevan Bruins
Successful teams rely on veteran leadership and the Estevan Bruins got plenty of that from third-year rearguard Josh Rieger this season. The 20-year-old Rieger began the final week of his junior career with 169 games of service on his resume and in that span he has posted 28 goals and 55 assists to go along with 284 minutes in penalties. An alternate captain the last two seasons, Rieger has been part of a leadership group that had the Bruins in the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup last year and a Viterra Division championship this season.

Ben Duperreault
Notre Dame Hounds
The Notre Dame Hounds got a taste of what it would be like to have Ben Duperreault in the line-up last year when the gifted forward collected 28 points in 25 games before returning to the Western Hockey League, this time with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. This year, as a 20-year-old, Duperreault returned to his hometown and from start to finish has been the league leader in points and entering the final week of the regular schedule also had the most goals with 36. Duperreault has formed a formidable duo with rookie sensation Adam Dawe and his play has been a big reason for the Hounds’ push to get into a top-six seeding

Kristian Stead
Nipawin Hawks
1996 G Kristian Stead (Merritt BC) is an imposing barrier for opposing shooters who are frustrated time and time again because he has been near unbeatable all season long. From early December until the end of February, Stead suffered only three losses. Included in that stretch was six consecutive starts where he gave up a total of three goals (3 shutouts in a row).

IBAS TOP DEFENSEMAN FINALISTS

Mike Eskra
Weyburn Red Wings

Josh Rieger
Estevan Bruins

The SJHL had an abundance of talented blueliners this year with two of the best coming out of the Viterra Division. Josh Rieger of the Estevan Bruins had a career year in his third and final season in the junior ranks while Mike Eskra recovered from an injury-plagued campaign a year ago to have a solid third season with the Weyburn Red Wings. Rieger’s 40 points ranks him second in the league in scoring by defencemen and has the Bruins entering the playoffs as the No. 3 seed while Eskra has been rock solid in setting career highs in all categories with eight goals, 20 assists and 28 points. Eskra’s play has helped Weyburn remain in the chase for a top-six position overall, which would result in a bye for the opening Wild Card round.

Kendall Fransoo
Battlefords North Stars
It was a break-out season for five-year veteran Kendall Fransoo. Entering this season, the North Battleford product had played in 184 SJHL games – all with the North Stars – and had accumulated four goals and 23 assists. Through 55 games this year, Fransoo had notched 10 goals and 23 helpers in addition to providing leadership to a team that easily captured both the division championship and the regular-season point’s race. Fransoo has been used in all situations having scored six times while on the power play, but he also brings a lot of grit to the back end having racked up in excess of 140 minutes in penalties in each of the last three seasons. His junior career might be winding down, but he has done plenty to ensure it ends on a positive note.

Eric Sinclair
Flin Flon Bombers
1996 D Eric Sinclair (Kenora ON) was last year’s SJHL top defenseman and he’s put up an encore worthy of the award for a second straight year. Sinclair is the top blueliner, offensively, and has also continued to work on his overall game to the point where he’s become every bit the defensive defenseman as he is an offensive one. A tireless player, Sinclair logs a large amount of ice time on a nightly basis without showing fatigue.

SASKTEL TOP GOALTENDER FINALISTS

Colby Entz
Melville Millionaires
Being a first-year netminder at any level generally results in plenty of time watching from the bench before the torch is passed on and that is exactly what happened with Colby Entz this year in Melville. Once that torch was handed to him, however, the 19-year-old (his birthday was March 1) from Churchbridge, Sask., gained more confidence not only in himself, but from his teammates as well. Entz played in just two games in September, two more in October, three in November and four in December before being used almost exclusively down the stretch as the Millionaires chased down the final playoff spot heading into the final week of the regular season. In 29 starts, Entz had a 3.05 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and four shutouts.

Taryn Kotchorek
Battlefords North Stars
Having one premiere goaltender in the line-up is a luxury; for the Battlefords North Stars having two has been a dream and that is a big reason why they are regular-season champions two seasons in a row. Taryn Kotchorek has been part of both of those dream tandems – last year as a back-up, but this season as the main guy – with strong support this time around from rookie sensation Joel Grzybowski. The 19-year-old Kotchorek had an impressive 26-3-0-0 record with a league-leading 1.67 goals-against average entering the final week of the regular schedule. The North Battleford native also had four shutouts and a save percentage of .933 that was just behind Nipawin’s Kristian Stead.

SJHL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Michael McChesney
Estevan Bruins
The Estevan Bruins were forced to add a number of new faces to their line-up this season when a core group of their club from last year graduated from the junior ranks. Michael McChesney is one of those new players and the just-turned 19-year-old winger from Dickinson, N.D., has fit in nicely having scored 20 goals and set up the same number in his first 53 games in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. McChesney, who was highly recruited after registering 66 points in 24 games at Dickinson High School last year, is third in the league in rookie scoring and has played a big role in helping Estevan capture the Viterra Division regular-season title and the No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs.

Adam Dawe
Notre Dame Hounds
In a division that featured some exceptional first-year talent, particularly in net, Adam Dawe stood above the rest. The just-turned 18-year-old from Gander, Nfdl., had 61 points through 50 games and he also showed off his talents at a pair of major events, first with Team West at the World Junior “A” Challenge and then as the lone SJHL representative at the CJHL’s Top Prospects Game. Dawe, who will attend the University of Maine in the fall, has helped the Hounds challenge for a top-six position as the regular season winds down.

Tyler Heidt
Melfort Mustangs
1998 D Tyler Heidt (Saskatoon SK) emerged as a top defenseman on the two time defending Canalta Cup champions and registered upwards of 20 points as a first year player. The 5’11”, 175lbs product was the Mustangs’ biggest threat from the back end by the end of the season and figures to be a powerplaymainstay in his final two years of junior eligibiity.

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