2009-10 Canada West major awards and all-stars announced

by CWUAA Communications

Photo courtesy Uwe Welz / U of Alberta Athletics: After racking up 46 points for the first-place Golden Bears during the regular season, Alberta's Chad Klassen has been selected 2009-10 league MVP

EDMONTON - The CWUAA proudly announces its 2009-10 men's hockey awards winners and All-Stars, as selected by coaches of the seven Canada West teams.

MVP and the league's Dave "Sweeney" Schriner Scoring Trophy winner CHAD KLASSEN helped lead the Alberta Golden Bears to an impressive 23-4-1 conference record, good for first place and home ice advantage through the Canada West playoffs.

A First Team All-Star in 2008-09, the Sullivan Joseph A. Trophy nominee won the 2009-10 scoring title with a single-season, career-high 18goals, 28 assists and 46 points in 28 conference games for the CIS No. 1-ranked Golden Bears. Klassen led the CWUAA in both goals (18) and assists (28) to become only the 10th player in conference history to lead, or share the lead, in both goals and assists.

His 46 points were the most scored by a Canada West Hockey scoring champion since 2005-06, when Saskatchewan's Dean Beuker topped the conference with 22-25-47 In October the 24-year-old out of Saskatoon garnered Husky-WHL Graduate of the Month honours after recording 16 points in eight games. Overall, the Physical Education student finished fifth in CIS scoring.

"After being named to the CIS All-Canadian team last season, Chad continued his excellent play this season proving that he is one of the outstanding players in all of CIS hockey," commented Alberta head coach Eric Thurston. "His skill level and ability to play at high speeds makes him one of the premier players in the nation. He has been an offensive leader for us all season, winning the conference scoring title and has provided us with key goals in many key situations."

For the second consecutive season, winner of the Mervyn "Red" Dutton Trophy as outstanding defenceman is the Golden Bears' KYLE FECHO, who becomes only the fourth player to win the award more than once since it was first awarded in 1978-79. Fecho, an alternate captain for the Golden Bears, also makes the All-Star roster for a second straight year.

The fourth-year Hanna, AB product led Canada West defencemen in scoring, with 24 points in 26 games, and assists, with 22, placing seventh overall in league scoring.

Coach Thurston said of Fecho, "Kyle has been our 'Rock of Gibraltar' this season. He has provided us with solid, steady defence all season long. He has done it all, playing on both our powerplay and penalty killing units and playing against opponents top lines game in and game out. He competes hard in the one-on-one situations. His outstanding play in all areas of the ice, and in all situations make him one of the outstanding defencemen in all of CIS Hockey."

After an outstanding inaugural campaign for the Lethbridge Pronghorns, ADAM CHORNEYKO has been elected Freshman of the Year and winner of the University of Alberta Hockey Alumni Trophy. The former Lethbridge Hurricane returned to Lethbridge this season with a bang, making an immediate impact with the Lethbridge Pronghorns in his first collegiate season.

Chorneyko led all rookies in scoring in Canada West with 35 points, including 16 goals, which was also the fourth best offensive output in the Conference. In 26 games, he had 12 multi point games, including his first CIS hat trick January 31 versus the UBC Thunderbirds. He was a key component in the Horns going 9-2-1 after Christmas, playing themselves back into post-season contention until the final weekend of the season, and with 12 points in 6 games in January, he was named the Husky WHL Graduate of the Month. In addition to his offensive prowess, Chorneyko was also responsible in his own end of the ice, tying for the conference lead in plus/minus rating at +18.

"Adam quickly stepped in and became our number one centre and top goal scorer," said head coach Greg Gatto. "Adam was a threat at both ends of the ice as he finished in the top five scorers for points and goals, and was a Canada West leader in plus/minus." Claiming the UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy for sportsmanship and ability is REID JORGENSEN of the Calgary Dinos.

A native of Vancouver, and five-year player for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, Jorgensen finished seventh in Canada West scoring, with 30 points, including 23 assists. The third-year forward recorded a point in 21 of 28 games the Dinos played in 2009-10, including a season-high 12-game point streak and eight multi-point games. To match his offensive abilities, the 24-year-old Social Sciences student stayed out of the penalty box all season, picking up just eight minors for 16 minutes over the 28-game schedule. Jorgensen is the first Dino to win the award since Paul Geddes in 1986-87 and becomes a CIS national finalist for the R.W. Pugh Award.

"Reid is very deserving of this award, as he continually brings a passion for the game while respecting everyone associated with the Canada West," noted Dinos head coach Mark Howell "His work ethic and preparation ensure he is capable of playing at an extremely high level each weekend. As one of the leaders on the Dinos, he leads by example both on and off the ice as well as in the classroom. Reid's desire to be an elite player is what allows him to be a Canada West All-Star. Everyone within Dinos Athletics congratulate Reid for winning such a prestigious award."

The 2010 Randy Gregg Award winner for athletic ability, academics & sportsmanship is Alberta team captain TYLER METCALFE.

The fifth-year forward from Headingley, Man., a member of two University Cup champion teams, is a valuable member of the Golden Bears' penalty-killing unit. On the ice this season the 25-year-old had four goals and 14 points in 27 games, while off the ice the two-time CIS Academic All-Canadian worked just as hard on his studies in Physical Education / Education and in the community at large.

Metcalfe volunteers and fundraises for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Edmonton, has volunteered with the Edmonton Blood Donor Clinic the past three years, helping to coordinate student blood donor drives each year. During the last three years he has also participated in the Play Around the World (PAW) program run through the University of Alberta Faculty of Physical Education, where members volunteered at numerous play days throughout Edmonton, organized and ran a variety of children's outdoor play activities/games including fort building, dance station, maze and a mad scientist station.

In the summer of 2008, Metcalfe even helped take the PAW program to Thailand, making a meaningful difference in the lives of underserved and disadvantaged children and youth (orphans, street children and people with disabilities) half a world away. Planning for this experience took place over the eight months prior to the trip and included an intense period and a variety of fundraising activities such as selling 50/50 tickets at U of Alberta athletic events, silent auctions, raffles, banquets, Rotary presentations. Students were also required to solicit donations of sports equipment and craft supplies. Other local involvement has included being an Assistant Instructor during the school year at Vimy Ridge Hockey Academy for the past five years and an instructor at the U of Alberta Golden Bears Hockey School.

"Two seasons ago, Tyler was voted by his teammates and coaches to wear the 'C' for the Golden Bears," noted Bears head coach Eric Thurston. "In those two seasons his hard work and determination in the classroom and on the ice has been inspirational. On the ice, Tyler provides us with a steady, consistent effort in each and every game. Off the ice he has represented the team in several initiatives brought forward by U of A Athletics and has been a key member of our Golden Bears Hockey School instructional staff. With his charitable work with the Edmonton community and his work overseas with the PAW program he has been an ambassador for not only the Golden Bears and CIS Hockey, but also for the University of Alberta and Canada."

In his 14th season with Manitoba, Coach of the Year MIKE SIRANT has guided the Manitoba Bison men's hockey program to a 16-10-2 regular season record and third place in the highly competitive Canada West conference in 2009-10. The win total is three more than last season and represents the highest win total for a Manitoba men's hockey team since the 2000-01 season. The Bisons also improved their point total by two points from last season's quarter-final team.

Sirant molded a team that had six rookies and nine other players in the roster this season who had not played under his tutelage prior to his leave of absence. Sirant returned to the Bisons after a three year break (2006-09) during which he was the Sports Director and head coach of the Danish National team. Sirant led the Bisons to a highest ranking of third place in the CIS Top Ten rankings at the start of the season in the first poll on October 20/09. Manitoba was listed in the CIS Top 10 for 15 consecutive weeks from Oct. 20/09-Feb. 23/10.

Sirant has now be at the helm for the last two Manitoba Bisons team to earn a berth into the CIS University Cup (2004-05 and 2009-10 season), the last two CIS National Championship appearances for Manitoba since 1984-85 season. He was the first Bisons head coach to earn the Canada West Coach of the Year award in 1995-96 and he repeated the feat again in 2004-05 when he led Manitoba to the CIS University Cup tournament.

"We are thrilled that Mike's peers have chosen to recognize his efforts as well as the success of the program in this manner. Mike has returned to the Bisons men's hockey program and continued building on the foundation that has been formed over the previous years. He has been dedicated to his commitment to the program. I join his peers in congratulating Mike on all his hard work and wish him continued success throughout the playoffs," said University of Manitoba Athletic Director Coleen Dufresne.

Winners of the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy for best team goals against average are netminders JEFF HARVEY & DAVID REEKIE, whose Saskatchewan Huskies allowed just 73 goals over the 28-game conference schedule, and average of 2.61, four goals fewer than the Manitoba Bisons. This marks the third time that Harvey has shared the award during his five-year Canada West career.

The league's Fair Play Trophy for fewest penalty minutes on the season goes to the MANITOBA BISONS for the first time since 1993-94, and to a team other than the Alberta Golden Bears for the first time in eight years. The Bisons had just 376 total penalty minutes, 15 better than Alberta's 391. Awards

MVP (Sullivan Trophy nominee as CIS Player of the Year): Chad Klassen, Alberta

Dave "Sweeney" Schriner Scoring Trophy: Chad Klassen, Alberta

Mervyn "Red" Dutton Trophy (Outstanding defenceman): Kyle Fecho, Alberta

University of Alberta Hockey Alumni Trophy (Outstanding Freshman): Adam Chorneyko, Lethbridge

UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy (Sportsmanship & Ability): Reid Jorgensen, Calgary

Randy Gregg Award (Athletic ability, Academics & Citizenship): Tyler Metcalfe, Alberta

Coach of the Year: Mike Sirant, Manitoba

Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy (Canada West only, best tea GAA): Jeff Harvey & David Reekie, Saskatchewan

Fair Play Trophy (Canada West only, fewest team penalty minutes): Manitoba Bisons

All-Star Teams

FIRST TEAM
G: Steve Christie, Manitoba
D: Kyle Fecho, Alberta
D: Ryan Pottruff, Lethbridge
F: Chad Klassen, Alberta
F: Derek Ryan, Alberta
F: Dustin Moore, Lethbridge

SECOND TEAM
G: Scott Bowles, Lethbridge
D: Chad Greenan, Saskatchewan
D: Stephane Lenoski, Manitoba
F: Adam Chorneyko, Lethbridge
F: Reid Jorgensen, Calgary
F: Steven DaSilva, Saskatchewan

Multiple All-Star Selections
Steve Christie, Man: 09 1st
Steven DaSilva, Sask: 08 1st, 08 All-Freshman
Kyle Fecho, AB: 09 1st, 07 All-Freshman
Reid Jorgensen, Cgy: 08 All-Freshman
Chad Klassen, AB: 09 1st
Derek Ryan, AB: 09 2nd

Most conference award-winners automatically become finalists for national awards, to be handed out by Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) at the University Cup, hosted by Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. March 25-28.

The University of Alberta Golden Bears host the Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West best-of-three final for the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy, starting Friday in Edmonton. Alberta is looking for a third straight conference title, while Manitoba has not claimed the conference crown since 1965. As finalists, both teams have qualified for the University Cup tournament at Lakehead.

Source:

Canada West