The BCHL announced its nominees for the 2015-16 league awards and three Vees have made the final ballots. Captain Tyson Jost, defenseman Dante Fabbro and Head Coach Fred Harbinson are nominated in three different categories. Jost is a nominee for BCHL MVP, Fabbro is up for the Top Defenceman award and Harbinson is a nominee for the Coach of the Year award.
Jost is second in team scoring and third overall in the BCHL scoring race, with 39 goals and 95 points, despite only playing 43 games; his 2.11 points per-game average is second-best in the league. Joey Laleggia was the last Vee to be named BCHL MVP, when he won the award in 2010-11; Denver Manderson won it the season prior.
Fabbro leads all BCHL defenceman in scoring with 63 points in just 42 games; two points up Nanaimo’s Yanni Kaldis. Fabbro is second in goals (14) and assists (49) but first in points per-game average (1.50); all this at the rype age if 17. Brett Beauvais won the award in 2014 and a Vees’ defenceman won the award four straight years from 2011 to 2014.
Harbinson is in his ninth season behind the Vees bench and has previously been named the Coach of the Year twice, winning in 2008 and 2012. This season, Harbinson has guided the Vees to their fifth consecutive Interior Division regular season pennant and their second consecutive BCHL regular season title, the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy. Under Harbinson, the Vees have amassed a 48-6-1-0 record through 55 games, and the team is flirting with just their second 50-win season in franchise history.
Scott Conway (MVP), Easton Brodzinski (Rookie of the Year) and Colton Poolman (Top Defenceman) also received multiple votes.
From the BCHL:
The finalists for the 2015-16 BCHL Awards have been determined.
After polling the league’s head coaches, one player from each division has been identified. These names will be put to the coaches for one more survey to determine the ultimate winners, which will be announced on Friday, Feb. 26.
The nominees are as follows:
Vern Dye Memorial Trophy (MVP)
Interior Division – Tyson Jost, Penticton Vees
Mainland Division – Jordan Kawaguchi, Chilliwack Chiefs
Island Division – Sheldon Rempal, Nanaimo Clippers
(others receiving multiple votes: Scott Conway, Jackson Cressey, Jeff Smith, Jonathan Desbiens, Yanni Kaldis, Colton Kerfoot, Colin Grannary, Matt Graham, Darien Craighead)
Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
Interior Division – Odeen Tufto, Vernon Vipers
Mainland Division – Vimal Sukumaran, Chilliwack Chiefs
Island Division – Kyle Betts, Powell River Kings
(others receiving multiple votes: Austin McIlmurray, Carter Turnbull, Justin Fregona, Easton Brodzinski, Michael Faulkner, Matt Hudie, Matthew Galajda, Jeffrey Stewart, Kohen Olischefski, Max Kaufman, Chase Zieky)
Top Defenceman Trophy
Interior Division – Dante Fabbro, Penticton Vees
Mainland Division – Dennis Cholowski, Chilliwack Chiefs
Island Division – Yanni Kaldis, Nanaimo Clippers
(others receiving multiple votes: Bryan Yoon, Paul Meyer, Colton Poolman, Rylan Yaremko, Matthew Stief, Nick Fiorentino, Adam Brubacher, Will Campion, Taylor Green)
Bob Fenton Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player)
Interior Division – Taro Hirose, Salmon Arm Silverbacks
Mainland Division – Colton Kerfoot, Coquitlam Express
Island Division – Chris Schutz, Alberni Valley Bulldogs
(others receiving multiple votes: Liam Finlay, Jordan Kawaguchi, Carter Turnbull, Justin Szeto, Odeen Tufto, Jordan Sandhu)
Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy (Coach of the Year)
Interior Division – Fred Harbinson, Penticton Vees
Mainland Division – Bliss Littler, Wenatchee Wild
Island Division – Mike Vandekamp, Nanaimo Clippers
(others receiving multiple votes: Rylan Ferster, Jason Tatarnic, Bobby Henderson, Bob Beatty, Kent Lewis)
