As a successful season winds down toward the playoffs, several Portage Terriers were nominated for league awards and all-star teams.
Head Coach and General Manager Blake Spiller notes that each guy has been a big part of their solid start.
"It's always good for guys to get recognized by their peers. Obviously, Scherrsy (Captain Parker Scherr) and Mitch (Mitchell Kathler) will be a big part of our team here going forward with playoffs starting in the next couple of weeks."
Scherr was named a second-team all-star by the league, along with his nomination for Defenceman of the Year. He says it speaks to the quality of the organization.
"It obviously means a lot, because Portage has been a cornerstone franchise for the MJHL forever. It makes our organization look really good to see that we have not only players being recognized, but also someone like Blake, our coach and GM, getting his recognition. It's awesome to see, it makes the team and organization feel really good that they have people in their organization getting recognized. So, it's a good morale boost for the team for sure."
Rookie Goaltender Mitchell Kathler was the most highly nominated player on the squad, with two player award nominations and a Rookie All-Star nod. He shares that the team has been a huge part of his success to this point.
"They trust me, and I trust them. Every game, we walk into the rink and we know we're 'that team.' The other teams kind of fear us, a little bit, so it's great to be a part of that."
He adds that it's a big honour to be recognized for his performance, especially as someone who is a fresh face to the Junior 'A' level.
Portager Koy Funk joined Kathler on the Rookie All-Star team as a 16-year-old, and he says he felt there could've been several others from the team on those lists.
"We have lots of guys on our team that I thought could've been nominated for awards or made the all-star teams, I think we have multiple guys that could've done that. And just being around the guys of this calibre creates an environment of competition and makes everybody better."
And last but by no means least, Cameron Bullinger was named a Second-Team All-Star for his contributions to the team. Bullinger has led the Terriers in scoring for most of the season, and he says it's nice to those contributions rewarded.
"I didn't put a whole lot of thought into it. It's definitely very honouring, but I couldn't have done it without any of the other guys on the team. So, more of a team award for me."
Awards and All-Star Teams
First Team:
F Miguel Bouvier, Northern Manitoba
F Connor Paronuzzi, Steinbach
F Cayden Glover, Dauphin
D Isaiah Peters, Winkler
D Naaman Hofer, Dauphin
G Liam Ernst, Winkler
Second Team:
F Cameron Bullinger, Portage
F Jayce Legaarden, Winkler
F Adam Vigfusson, Niverville
D Parker Scherr, Portage
G Cole Sheffield, Dauphin
Rookie Team:
F Koy Funk, Portage
F Rohan Gueverra, Selkirk,
F Kam Thomas, Winkler
D Reece Gault, Steinbach
D Maxim Lavoie, Winkler
G Mitchell Kathler, Portage
Most Valuable Player
Miguel Bouvier
Liam Ernst
Connor Paronuzzi (Winner)
Top Defenceman
Naaman Hofer (Winner)
Isaiah Peters
Parker Scherr
Top Goaltender
Liam Ernst (Winner)
Mitchell Kathler
Cole Sheffield
Top Rookie
Reece Gault
Mitchell Kathler (Winner)
Taye Timmerman
Outstanding Ability and Sportsmanship
Brody Beauchemin (Winner)
Miguel Bouvier
Cayden Glover
Top Coach
Paul Dyck, Steinbach
Matt Melo, Winkler (Winner)
Blake Spiller