The Canmore Eagles were having their annual Awards’ Dinner Saturday night at the Cornerstone Theatre in Canmore. It was the team’s 24th Awards Banquet. Sponsors, Season Ticket Holders, Billets, Boards of Directors, Volunteers, Parents and of course the Eagles Players were in attendance.
The Most Improved Player Award Sponsored by Three Sister’s Taxi went to 20-year-old Forward from Airdrie, Taden Rattie. Rattie joined the Eagles in October 2017 after spending in the Western Hockey League. Last season, the 6'4 Forward had only 3 goals and 6 points in 31 games. This season, Rattie really stepped up his play with 16 goals and 5 assists for 21 points in 47 games. He was particularly a big key on the Power Play as he has 8 goals with the man advantage.
The Athletic Academic Award Sponsored by Lafarge’s Exshaw Cement Plant went to 17-year-old Forward Alex Young. The Calgary product who is in his 2nd season with the Eagles earned an NCAA Div. 1 Scholarship at Colgate University for the 2020-21 season back in October. He will join his older brother Colton, who will make the move to Colgate next season.
Alex Young also earned the Leading Scorer Award Sponsored by Lockwood Autobody. After putting up an impressive rookie campaign of 50 points in 60 games as a 16-year-old last season, Young had an outstanding Sophomore season with the Eagles with 34 goals and 37 assists for 71 points in 56 games. The Eagles have 3 more games to play, however, Young has an 11 point lead on the 2 players chasing him, his brother Colton and Defenceman Mark Drohan who both have 60 points. So it’s safe to say that Alex Young will remain the scoring leader when the regular season comes to an end.
The Rookie of the Year Award Sponsored by Boston Pizza went to 18-year-old Forward Michael Spafford. Spafford from Saskatoon, SK leads the team in points among rookies with 22, including 10 goals in 52 games. During the season, Spafford earned more playing time on the special teams.
The Most Sportsmanlike Award Sponsored by Akita Custom Glass went to 19-year-old Forward Owen Reith. Reith who comes from the lovely ski town of Whistler, BC joined the Eagles last summer after being acquired from the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. This season, Reith has 10 goals and 28 assists for 38 points in 56 games and he also took only 18 penalty minutes. He is a very versatile player who can excel in all situations of the game.
The Players Choice Award Sponsored by Rags to Riches went to netminder Thomas Davis. Davis who is in his 3rd and final season with the Eagles is certainly a very popular and loved player on the team. Off the ice, he can Davis can be found doing a lot of hilarious things like being the mascot “Eddie the Eagle”, starting dance-off competitions with little fans and making announcements for the local radio station 106.5 Mountain FM.
The Most Dedicated Player Award Sponsored by Canmore Lube and Muffler went to Eagles’ Captain Colton Young. The 20-year-old player who has been part of the Eagles organization for 4 years will be graduating from the program at the end of the season and will head down to Colgate University next season to pursue his Hockey career and further his education. Colton Young has played 173 career games with the Eagles and his career totals are 56 goals and 96 assists for 152 points.
The Canmore Minor Hockey Association Award went to 19-year-old Forward Nolan Steer. The 2nd year from Calgary who is a defensive specialist and a great shot blocker certainly enjoys volunteering his time to Canmore Minor Hockey.
The Most Valuable Players Award Sponsored by 106.5 FM went to 20-year-old Defenceman Daly Hamilton. Hamilton who is in his 3rd and final season with the Eagles has certainly been a key component on the team’s blue line as he logs 25 to 30 minutes a game and he excels in all situations. This season, Hamilton has 6 goals and 36 assists for 42 points in 56 games. He more than doubled his point production from last season as he had 20 points in 57 games. Hamilton has also been a dedicated volunteer in the community during his time with the Eagles and he has been an exceptional representative of the Eagles and the Bow Valley community. He is our MVP on and off the ice!
The Defenceman of the Year Award Sponsored by Can Bow Motors went to 20-year-old Mark Drohan. Drohan who is in his 5th and final season of his Junior career was acquired from the Calgary Canucks last June. The Calgary product leads all Defenceman in the AJHL in points (60) and assists (48). He is also a nominee for the AJHL’s Top Defenceman Award, in which the winner should be announced sometime this week.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to Jade Boisclair-Rondeau. Jade has been volunteering with the team for several years and she has volunteered in almost every position possible on game days including singing the National Anthem.
And finally the Ken Pauls Sr Award went to Eagles’ Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager Evan McFeeters. McFeeters who is in his 4th season with the team goes way beyond his coaching duties with the Eagles as he helps out a lot mentoring coaches and players in Canmore Minor Hockey.
EAGLES 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
Next season, the Eagles organization will be celebrating their 25th anniversary. With the anniversary, the Eagles Organization announced Saturday evening that they will be refreshing the Eagles logo. The Eagles are engaging the Bow Valley community for the month of March to suggest ideas for a new Eagle logo going into next season. Fans can send their ideas or drawings to info@canmoreeagles.com.
With the anticipation of the new logo, the Eagles will be selling off their Heritage Logo Jersey's starting Friday, March 1st. Leading up to the public sale, parents, billets, sponsors, season ticket holders, volunteers and board members will have first dibs.
The Eagles will be selling their Blue Jerseys for $115 and White Jerseys for $100.