HTJHL announces 2024/2025 award winners

As the Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League playoffs semi-finals get underway, the league is celebrating their outstanding players for the 2024/2025 season.

The HTJHL award winners were announced on the league’s website Feb. 21.

Steinbach’s Brandon Thiessen was a shoe-in to come away with some sort of hardware. The 2003-born forward finished his record-breaking career with his best season for the Huskies, posting 77 points in 25 games. That output was more than enough to push him to becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 255 points in 99 regular season games.

Niverville’s Easton Kapelus was given the award for the league’s top forward. The Clippers topped the league’s West Division, with Kapelus notching 41 points in 21 games. Kapelus played the last two seasons in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League.

The Clippers also boast the league’s top defenseman, Craig Lacasse. Lacasse scored more than a point-per-game for Niverville while wearing an assistant captain’s ‘A.’

The league’s other division winner, the Springfield Xtreme, also had two award winners, with the league’s top goaltender and coach of the year.

Dylan Kizlik finished with a 0.948 save percentage while posting a 12-1-1 record and a 1.22 goals against average. He also had three shutouts.

The Xtreme boasted the league’s best goal difference, while holding the league’s best record. Springfield only lost two games this season, giving up just 36 goals in the regular season.

Lucas Jolicoeur was named the league’s top rookie. The former Steinbach Regional Sabres standout has fit in perfectly with the Mitchell Mustangs, with 42 points in 23 games in his first full season after high school.

Red River’s Reece Fehr was given the HTJHL’s most gentlemanly award, with Mudbugs team manager Teresa Dowswell named the manger of the year.