SGEU MVP of the Month: Mason Karakochuk, Nipawin Hawks
Karakochuk did not finish a game in February without at least one point, and his current league-high 12-game point streak is the fourth longest in the league so far this season. The high-skilled winger’s consistency, with his line of Eric Hoiness in the middle and rookie Sean Shiels on the right, has been almost impossible to stop since they were put together, and has been the base of what is an all-around electric Nipawin attack. Karakochuk’s month-high was a four-point night at home to La Ronge, but ended the month with four of his final five games being of the multi-point variety.
Month Stats: 12 GP – 12 G, 12 A – 24 PTS
Bourgault Forward of the Month: Eric Hoiness, Nipawin Hawks
Points have and will always get a ton of attention, and Hoiness gets those too, but it’s not just about points for the Hawks’ first-line centreman. The veteran from Saskatoon, who turned 21 in January, takes a large number of Nipawin’s big face-offs – he has taken the most face-offs in the league – and does a lot of work down low for his highly-skilled wingers. Hoiness leads the Hawks in scoring as well, and had a four and three three-point nights in February.
Month Stats: 12 GP – 5 G, 15 A – 20 PTS
SuperU Defenceman of the Month: Bo Eisner, Melfort Mustangs
Melfort’s run since the trade deadline on Jan. 10 has been nothing short of remarkable, though given the pedigree of the likes of Eisner and his defence partner Danton Cox, it should not come as much of a surprise. Bo has utterly dominated the league in the second half, across all three zones, and his blend of size and skating from the right side of the ice has put him in the discussion for ‘best blueliner in the SJHL’. He had a three-point night in Warman and five multi-point games in the month. Still, points only tell part of his story, as he plays within himself and within Trevor Blevins’ framework, and has two championship seasons of experience to handle any situation.
Month Stats: 12 GP – 5 G, 9 A – 14 PTS
SaskTel Co-Goalies of the Month: Callum Creig, Yorkton Terriers; Gage Roberts, Nipawin Hawks
A remarkable month by a long list of goalies required more than just one goaltender of the month.
There is a solid argument to be made that the Yorkton Terriers were the league’s best team in February, and Creig was a big part of it, as he didn’t lose all month. Seven starts, seven wins, highlighted by a shutout at home vs. Humboldt, and a .966 save percentage performance in Weyburn. Yorkton still has an outside chance at the No. 1 seed, and if that faint opportunity is to be realized, Creig will have to continue to be front and centre, as he has for most of the season.
For Nipawin, Roberts has been a star all year long, and he was often spectacular in February. Back-to-back shutouts to start the month, including a 39-save one against a powerful Weyburn team, and let in only single goals in other games against Battlefords (a top offence in the league), and La Ronge. The Hawks have been a tough team to score on all year, and Gage has been a huge reason why.
Creig Month Stats: 7-0-0, .919 SV%, 2.40 GAA, 1SO
Roberts Month Stats: 5-2-0, .950 SV%, 1.72 GAA, 2SO
SaskMilk Rookie of the Month: Kason Kobelka, Melfort Mustangs
Melfort has become THE team other clubs want to avoid in Round 1, and Kobelka’s brilliant February deserves a lot of credit for why. Seven starts yielded seven wins, and he did not allow more than three goals in a game all month. Six of the seven wins involved save percentages over .926, and five of them over .944, and the reality is that Coach Blevins cannot go wrong putting either Kobelka or returnee Madden Mulawka in the net. Who would get the Game 1 start if it were today? Nobody knows.
Month Stats: 7-0-0, .928 SV%, 2.01 GAA
Canterra Seeds Saskatchewan Player of the Month: Jye Zawatsky, Yorkton Terriers (from Yorkton, Sask)
The back-to-back Saskatchewan Player of the Month has had more than his share of awards this year, and it’s totally deserved, as he keeps scoring on the left of the line that includes Gabriel Courchesne and William Leonard, as he has all season long. Third in league scoring at the time of writing, Jye is also tied with linemate Courchesne for the league lead in assists with 43 in two fewer games (due to the Viking Cup). The local boy always had blazing speed, but added the ability to slow the game down and pick his spots this season, and it has benefited him to a huge degree down that left wing. He showed he’s a big-game player at the Viking Cup and will be looked to if Yorkton is going to have a long playoff run this March. He had only one game without a point in February, but was very consistent otherwise, posting his month-high the game after going pointless.
Month Stats: 12 GP – 7 G, 10 A – 17 PTS
