(Graphic courtesy/SJHL)

By Ben Tompkins

Players/Coaches of the Year

All three northeast teams among SJHL award nominees

Mar 3, 2023 | 1:36 PM

The Melfort Mustangs, Nipawin Hawks, Humboldt Broncos, and even a northeast local, could take home some significant hardware this year— courtesy of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).

The SJHL announced its nominees on Friday for each of the league’s yearly player and coach awards, as the northeast is nominated a total of seven times.

Included on the list are MVP, Player, Defenseman, Rookie, and Coach of the Year, along with the Most Sportsmanlike Player and the Top Goaltender.

First, it’s the Directwest Rookie of the Year, which showcase Mustangs’ forward Riley Ashe, and Broncos’ defenceman Carsten Kayter.

The two marked a new wave of the league, entering the year at just 16 years old, and have already both committed to Divison I universities, down in the states, during this season.

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Ashe currently ranks third in the league among rookies in points, and first in assists, with eight goals and 30 assists, for 38 points in 51 games played.

Meanwhile, Kayter is the top point-getter among rookie d-men, with five goals and 24 assists, for 29 points in 48 games played.

As for the SuperU Defenseman of the Year, it highlights Zander Stewart of the Nipawin Hawks and Daylan Weigel of the Humboldt Broncos.

(Graphic courtesy/SJHL)

Zander Stewart is fourth in the SJHL in points by defencemen, with eight goals and 33 assists, for 41 points in 49 games played, while Weigel is sixth in points among defencemen, with nine goals and 29 assists, for 38 points in 49 games played.

Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association Coach of the Year features Tad Kozun of the Nipawin Hawks, and Battlefords North Stars’ Brayden Klimosko (Humboldt born-and-raised).

(Graphic courtesy/SJHL)

Kozun, in his first full season as head coach of the team, has completely flipped the Hawks around, and back to their usual winning ways.

Last season Kozun was made the interim head coach, after the firing of long-time Nipawin bench boss Doug Johnson in early December. The organization had the second-worst point total in the league with just 40.

Now, the black and gold are currently seventh in the league (just two points back of the Estevan Bruins for sixth place, with a game in hand), and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. They have already last year’s point total by 15 points (currently sit with 55 points), with yet another four games to play.

And Klimosko has made his mark on the league over the past few years, leading his team to a title in the 2018-19 season, and winning or sharing the Coach of the Year award in the 2019-20 season, and the 2021-22 season (no season in 2020-21).

This year, the Humboldt native is once again a finalist, and for good reason, as his North Stars started the season as hot as anyone ever has, getting at least a point in their first 36 games (began the year 33-0-2-1), and constantly being at the top of the CJHL rankings.

Battlefords currently holds a record of 44-4-2-1, good for 91 points through 51 games. That total also gives them 15 more points than they had last year, with the chance at reaching the 100 mark plateau, with five games and 10 points still left on the table before the season’s end.

And, finally, the Nipawin Hawks’ defenceman, Zander Stewart, appears as a nominee twice, as he ends the list for the northeast.

Stewart has also been nominated as a finalist for the Federated Co-op Most Sportsmanlike Player.

(Graphic courtesy/SJHL)

Despite suiting up for 49 games, while being relied on as the team’s most valuable defenseman, racking up all the important minutes, he has only been in the penalty box for a total of 10 minutes.

All the winners of the 22/23 SJHL Players/Coach of the Year Awards will be announced on the March 9th edition of SJHL Insiders.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8