MJHL announces 2023/2024 award winners

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This article was published 12/03/2024 (756 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Noah Szabo has been recognized for his excellent year. The Steinbach Pistons defender was named the winner of the Brian Kozak award, given to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s top defenseman. All of the league’s major awards winners were announced March 4 on their website.

Szabo has scored at a point-per-game pace this season, while standing out as one of the best players at helping Steinbach goalies keep the puck out of their own net. He beat out Oakbank’s Kaycee Coyle, who plays for the Niverville Nighthawks, to win the award.

The Pistons have given up the fewest goals of any team in the league, while scoring the most.

Szabo isn’t the only major award winner from Steinbach this season, as Grady Hoffman took home the Kim Davis Award, handed to the league’s top rookie.

Hoffman leads the league in points for a rookie with 46. His only competition in that aspect is teammate Connor Paronuzzi, who has 40. The next closest rookie scorer, OCN’s Quincy Supprien, has 34 points this season.

Other players from the Nighthawks and Pistons were up for awards but lost out.

Leo Chambers was a finalist for the most valuable player and Frank McKinnon Memorial award, but lost out to Winkler’s Trent Penner and Virden’s Josh Lehto respectively. (The Frank McKinnon award is based off playing ability and sportsmanship).

With the team’s strong record, it was no surprise Steinbach’s Paul Dyck was up for coach of the year, but he lost out to OCN’s Eric Labrosse.

The league also announced all-star teams this week, with Szabo and Leo Chambers making the first team, and Coyle making the second team.

The all-rookie team has Hoffman, as well as Niverville’s Nathan Brown and Raiden LeGall.

Brian Kozak was a top defender for the Selkirk Steelers during their heyday in the late-60s. He died from cancer in 1976 while only 27-years-old.

The MJHL’s top rookie award is named in honour of Kim Davis, a talented player who was born in Flin Flon in 1957 and played in 36 NHL games. He served as the league’s commissioner from 2002 until 2020.