Several players won awards to recognize their work throughout the season. (Ice Wolves/Daniel Despins Photography)

By Derek Cornet

sjhl

Ice Wolves shut out of playoffs, ends season with awards banquet

Mar 18, 2024 | 1:58 PM

With the regular season finished and without a spot in the playoffs, the Ice Wolves held its annual awards banquet Saturday at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre.

“It went very good,” Head Coach Kevin Kaminski said about the event, noting there were about 160 attendees. “It was a packed crowd and I think all of the award winners were much deserved. I thought it was a pretty good atmosphere.”

Those who received awards at the banquet were Sage Roberts for Most Sportsmanlike, Parker Layton for Top Defenceman and Fans Choice Award, Topher Chirico for Most Dedicated Player, Ryan Silzer for Most Improved Player, Jacob Cossette for Most Community-Minded, Will Forsberg for Rookie of the Year, Cole Thomas for Mr. Hustle, Mason Bueckert for Best Playmaker and Top Scorer, Zane Norman for Diamond in the Rough.

Layton and Bueckert both received Most Valuable Player and Bueckert and Cossette received the High Watt Memorial Iron Man Award. The Coaches Award went to Kyle Graham, Max Henderson, Dylan Handel, Lleyton Shearon, Layton and Chirico.

The Ice Wolves finished the 2023-2024 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season in 11^th place with 40 loses and 16 wins for 37 points. They will not advance to the playoffs alongside the Nipawin Hawks, Yorkton Terriers and the Notre Dame Hounds. The top three teams headed into playoffs are the Flin Flon Bombers, Melfort Mustangs and Humboldt Broncos.

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Kaminski explained six of the players on the roster are aging out and that he told everyone at the exit meeting on Saturday that they will all have to work to earn a spot on the team for the next season.

“I told every guy the only guarantee in hockey is that there is no guarantee,” he said.

“You’re going to have to do your homework and come back here and make this team because right now, no one has made this team, especially with the year that we had. There’s going to be new blood and the guys who came in late from trades or whatever and the guys who stuck around all year long. There’s no guarantees. You’re going to have to have one heck of a summer and you’re going to have to prove you’re going to come in and earn a spot.”

Kaminski added he is disappointed the team didn’t make the playoffs and that he will be recruiting hard this summer. He said spring camp is coming up March 29 to 31 and there will be 10 teams involved.

“It will give us a good read to see where we are at because obviously, with the year that we had, that can’t happen again,” Kaminski said.

He also wanted to thank the fans for their ongoing support to the La Ronge Ice Wolves throughout the season.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com