The Kimberley Dynamiters’ players have left town following their year-end banquet on Sunday night as the team handed out awards to recognize individual players for their contribution to the club.
Nitro rearguard Isaac Schacher wasn’t able to make it to the dinner as inclement weather prevented him from returning to Kimberley, as he had joined the Victoria Royals for a pair of home games.
Shacher picked up the best defenceman and the most valuable player awards, and will likely rejoin the Royals for their playoff run.
Jason Richter also picked up a pair of awards, nabbing the coaches award and the rookie of the year award.
KIJHL PLAYOFFS
The Dynamiters ran into a tough opponent in their first-round matchup against the Golden Rockets, which engineered a four game sweep.
The Rockets then sat back as the Fernie Ghostriders and the Columbia Valley Rockies scrapped it out for the second spot in the divisional final.
Columbia Valley won two of the first three games, but then the Riders woke up and rattled off a trio of victories to win the series.
Fernie ended the regular season on top of the Eddie Mountain Division standings for the seventh straight season.
The Rockets and the Riders begin their series on Tuesday night in Fernie.
Elsewhere around the KIJHL, the Castlegar Rebels defeated the Spokane Braves in five games. The Rebels move on to face the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, which won their opening series against the Nelson Leafs in six games.
In the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference, the results were relatively predictable.
The North Okanagan Knights beat the Kamloops Storm in five games, and will face the Sicamous Eagles. The Eagles got past the Revelstoke Grizzlies in the first round, losing their first game, but then rattling off four consecutive wins.
The Kelowna Chiefs downed the Summerland Steam in six games, and will challenge the Osoyoos Coyotes, which defeated the Princeton Posse in their first-round matchup.
WHL Notes: A pair of WHL players picked up entry level contracts with NHL teams on Monday. Taylor Peters, a forward with the Portland Winterhawks, has inked a contract with the Dallas Stars. Peters, who has gone undrafted by the pros throughout his WHL career, has previously been affiliated with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild. Josh Nicholls, a forward with the Saskatoon Blades, has also reportedly put his signature to a contract with the New York Rangers. Nicholls was previously drafted by the Maple Leafs.
2013 Kimberley Dynamiter Awards
Most Inspirational:
Sponsored by: Chalet Chev Olds
Winner: Connor Kutzner
Most Sportsmanlike:
Sponsored by: Falkins Insurance
Winner: Matt Gann
Most Improved:
Sponsored by: DSG Communications
Winner: Brett Luker
Best Defenseman:
Sponsored by: Mark Creek Market
Winner: Isaac Schacher
Most Popular Player(s):
Sponsored by: Sully Pub
Winner: Eric Buckley
Most Valuable Player(s):
Sponsored by: Melody Motors
Winner: Isaac Schacher
Rookie of the Year:
Sponsored by: Grubstake Pizza
Winner: Jason Richter
Leading Scorer:
Sponsored by: Remax Caldwell Agencies
Winner: Sam Nigg (15 G, 36 A, 51 Pts)
Most Valuable Playoff Performer:
Sponsored by: Kootenay Savings Credit Union
Winner: Jeremy Mousseau
Coaches Award:
Sponsored by: Coaches
Winner: Jason Richter