Winterhawks name Year-end Award Winners

The Saugeen Shores Winterhawks announced their award winners to cap off the 2021/22 WOAA Sr. “AA” Hockey League season.

Forward Miles MacLean was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2021/22 Regular season, after finishing third in league scoring with 13 goals, 10 assists for 23 points in 14 games of the pandemic-shortened regular season season.

The Port Elgin native also took home the Top Scorer Award for being the club’s leading regular season scorer.

Defenceman Josh Deyell was named the winner of the Top Defenceman Award, and shared the Top Defensive Player nod with forward Andy Mitchell, who captured the award for the fourth time in his career.

Full award winners:

Community Service Award: Josh Hopkin
Most Dedicated Winterhawk: Austin McLaren, equipment manager
Jim Little Memorial Award (rookie of the year): Justin Donnelly
Corry Solomway Memorial Award (perseverance, sportsmanship & dedication to the game): Trevor Smith
Top Defenceman Award: Josh Deyell
Most Valuable Player – 2022 Playoffs: Lauchlin Elder
Top Defensive Player: Josh Deyell & Andy Mitchell
Leading Scorer Award: Miles MacLean
Most Valuable Player – 2021/22 Regular Season: Miles MacLean

“It was such a relief to get back on the ice after losing a full season (2020/21 season was cancelled due to the pandemic) and having to find our way through the various restrictions all fall and winter,” said Winterhawks President Gord Lamont. “Between our players, coaches and fans, we are all such a tight-knit group, there was never any doubt we’d pull through.”

In addition to capping off the season, the team announced Head Coach Ben Antler will return behind the bench for the 2022/23 season and that the club has committed to playing at least one game per season at the Southampton Coliseum going forward.

“We’re full steam ahead for 2022/23, we’ve got some exciting things in the works, we’re looking to pull off a couple big additions to the roster and get back to where we want to be, which is at the top of the mountain,” said Lamont.

The 15th season of Winterhawks hockey kicks off in October.