WEYBURN – The Weyburn Legion Hall was packed for the Weyburn Red Wings’ Comedy Night and Awards Banquet, held Sunday evening, and Kirk Mullen was the biggest winner of hardware from the team awards.
Mullen was presented with the Most Valuable Player Award, sponsored by Weyburn Credit Union; along with the High Scorer Award, sponsored by Prairie Sky Co-op; the Most Valuable Forward award, sponsored by Barber Motors, and Rookie of the Year, sponsored by Larry's Sewer Service.
Just before the awards were presented, head coach Cody Mapes commented on the players in his charge this year.
“I challenged you guys time and time again, in subtle ways and not-so-subtle ways. I was impressed with the leadership you came up with in all situations. The leadership in this group is very strong,” he said.
Of the influence the squad has had with younger hockey players, he said, “The impact you have is understated. You don’t know the impact of how that will stay with them.”
Mapes pointed out the average age of the team right now is 18 years two months, which is very young in the SJHL.
“For you guys to have leadership qualities, good for you,” he said, adding that being on a junior A hockey team “is a tough mental grind” as they are away from friends and family, and in some cases giving up going to school or taking a job for two or three years while they play hockey.
“You get to live out a lot of dreams, and a lot of people don’t get to do that. … It’ll be the best time of your life,” he said.
Mapes said going forward into next season will look a lot different, and promised he and the coaching staff want to give the players a winning year next year.
The Best Defensive Forward award, sponsored by Weimer's Hometown, was presented by Brent Stephanson to Matthew Reidy.
The Outstanding Community Service Award, sponsored by NSWB, was presented by Mike Weger to Ethan Whillans.
The Most Improved Player Award, sponsored by York Jewellers, was presented by Anne Phair to Ty Mason. He also won the Most Popular Player award, as voted by the fans. This award is sponsored by Dee Jay's/KFC, and was presented by Tascha Jasper.
The Most Valuable Defenseman award, sponsored by Weyburn Security, was presented by team president Jamie Blunden to Nolan Henderson.
The Marcel Labelle Memorial award, for dedication to the team and good sportsmanship, was presented by Pete Tatarliov to Sebastian Hamming.
The award for Outstanding Ability and Gentlemanly Conduct, sponsored by Razorback Oilfield Services, was presented by Ray Jarvis to Mi-Kwan Tallman.
The Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by GeoVerra, was presented by Perry Pyett to Mitch Wilkie.
The award for the Most Popular Player as voted by the team, sponsored by Kingston Midstream, was presented by Darren Istace to Luke Schaeffer.
The Graham Christie Memorial Award for the Most Inspirational Red Wing, sponsored by the Weyburn Police Association, was presented by Riley Ross to Matthew Reidy.
