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*Katth* · 06-13-2019, 05:33 AM

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We’ve come together tonight to celebrate the previous SMJHL season 47 and playoffs of the Kelowna Knights by awarding our annual rewards to those players who stood out in the last season. As recent Kelowna Knights alumni I had the opportunity to talk a little about these players. A great honor.

These are the awards that we will be handing out tonight:

Jackson Rogers-Tanaka Award: Awarded to the player who displays outstanding dedication to the team.
Erik Chisling Award: Awarded to the best defenseman.
Elias Armia Award: Awarded to the regular season MVP.
Miikka Granlund Award: Awarded to the player who displays the best leadership
Maxim Horvat Award: Awarded to the top rookie.
Saku Perhonen Award: Awarded to the most exciting player.
John McBride Award: Awarded to the playoff MVP.
Riko Muerto Award: Awarded to most under-rated player.
Jonathan Lundberg Award: Awarded to the player who most embodies what it means to be a Knight.

So, let’s not wait any longer and let’s get this part started.

Jackson Rogers-Tanaka Award, awarded to the player who displays outstanding dedication to the team, goes too…

Gunnar Soderberg!

Ah well deserved award here after winning it also last season. Soderberg's presence in the locker room and on the ice is a presence that lifts up the team. Always giving it 200% and always goes the extra mile whether it’s during a game, practice or during our pre-game football circle. Well deserved award and it shows why Soderberg is the Knights captain.

Erik Chisling Award awarded to the best defenseman, goes too…

David Vent!

While our defense was struggling a little throughout the season, it was David Vent who was solid as a rock and turned things around when we hit the playoffs. During the regular season Vent scored 26 points. Not the most points from a defenseman for the Knights, but Vent’s leadership is worth a whole lot more.

Elias Armia Award awarded to the regular season MVP, goes too…

Bobby Sharp!

Another stellar season from Bobby Sharp this year, scoring 39 points in the regular season. Whether he played on the first or second line, Sharp always found ways to find the net or setup a teammate with one of his beautiful passes. In his final season for the Kelowna Knights he sure as hell made the most of it.

Miikka Granlund Award, awarded to the player who displays the best leadership, goes too…

Your captain: Gunnar Soderberg!

While we’ve seen some great leadership in the locker room and on the ice, it’s Gunnar Soderberg who stands out from the rest of the team. In her first season as the Knights captain she was there when we needed her. Always out there helping our rookies improve and fit in. She got us focussed when we needed it the most so we always had the eye on the prize. Which we unfortunately fell short in.

Maxim Horvat Award, awarded to the top rookie, goes too…

Piotr Horvat!

Piotr Horvat did so amazingly well in his first year in the SMJHL with the Kelowna Knights. He scored 20 points during the regular season and added another 3 points in 10 playoff games. Piotr adapted really well to our locker room and he impressed a lot of us during his first training camp. He was a steal in the SHL draft.

Saku Perhonen Award, awarded to the most exciting player, goes too…

Zach Laliberte!

What an amazing season did Zach Laliberte have! As top goal scorer for the Knights in the previous season and adding another 11 points in 10 games during the playoffs he made quite a few highlight reels this year. One after the other impressive goal was scored and many just when we needed it. There are simply not enough words to describe the amazing season of Zach Laliberte. A well deserved award.

John McBride Award, awarded to the playoff MVP, goes too…

Barry Batsbak!

I’m honored to receive this award. Just too bad it wasn’t enough for us to reach the final again this year, but I think we did really well in the end and we should be proud of what we have accomplished last season. I would also like to use this moment to thank my fellow teammates for the wonderful season here in Kelowna. I want to thank the fans, you are amazing and you deserve to win cups. The GM’s and specially Zoone for helping me get where I am today. The Kelowna Knights organization is the perfect step for a wonderful SHL career.

Riko Muerto Award, awarded to most under-rated player, goes too…

Nathan Explosion!

Nathan Explosion is the silent force behind the Knights success. He doesn’t really take the spotlight, but he deserve it. Explosion is a player that’s always able to put his mark on a game. He’s an alternate captain for the team for a reason. He’s a player to look at when he’s hitting the SHL with the San Francisco Pride.

Jonathan Lundberg Award, awarded to the player who most embodies what it means to be a Knight, goes too…

This might come as a surprise, but it’s Gunnar Soderberg!

Oh captain, my captain! We all salute Gunnar Soderberg. Being a Kelowna Knight is something special and Soderberg realizes that as no other. How she interacts with fans and everyone connected to the organization is just amazing to see. On the ice she is a force the be reckoned with. Giving it 200%, battling for every puck, annoy the refs about bad calls, but important of all motivate us to do same she’s doing. She is a true role model for this team and I’m sad I don’t get to play with her next season.

So this concludes this award ceremony for the S47 Kelowna Knight Team awards. I want to congratulate all the award winners and the organization for a wonderful season last year. I will always remember this place and it will always have a special place in my heart. This is the place that made me grow in the player I am today.

As a final note: I just got told that to celebrate this season we have an open bar all paid for by our wonderful GM.

Go Knights!

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