Two members of the Vernon Vipers are finalists for the league’s hardware.
Ty Taylor is a finalist for top goalie, and Josh Prokop will be up for Rookie of the Year.
Taylor will go up against Prince George’s Evan DeBrouwer and Taz Burman of the Nanaimo Clippers, while Prokop is nominated with Alex Newhook of the Victoria Grizzlies and Corey Andonovski of the Chilliwack Chiefs.
Stage one of voting is done by the league’s head coaches, and a finalist from each division is named for the annual awards.
“For the first time in league history, the Goaltending Award is being voted on,” said BCHL communications director Brent Mutis. “Prior to this season, it simply went to the goalie with the lowest goals-against average and 1,000 minutes played.”
Other trophies that will be awarded but are not voted on are the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy (best regular-season record), the Brett Hull Trophy (top scorer) and the Wally Forslund Trophy (goalie tandem with the best combined goals-against average).
The coaches will submit another round of votes to determine the winner of each trophy and those will be announced next week before the start of the playoffs.
Here are the finalists for the 2018 BCHL awards:
Vern Dye Memorial Trophy – Most Valuable Player
Island – Alex Newhook, Victoria Grizzlies
Mainland – Ethan De Jong, Prince George Spruce Kings
Interior – Jasper Weatherby, Wenatchee Wild;
Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy – Rookie of the Year Award
Island – Alex Newhook, Victoria Grizzlies
Mainland – Corey Andonovski, Chilliwack Chiefs
Interior – Josh Prokop, Vernon Vipers;
Defensive Award – Top Defenceman
Island – Max Crozier, Nanaimo Clippers
Mainland – Colin Bernard, Langley Rivermen
Interior – Cooper Zech, Wenatchee Wild
Goaltending Award (This is the first year this has gone to vote)
Island – Taz Burman, Nanaimo Clippers
Mainland – Evan DeBrouwer, Prince George Spruce Kings
Interior – Ty Taylor, Vernon Vipers;
Bob Fenton Trophy – Most Sportsmanlike Player
Island – Gavin Rauser, Powell River Kings
Mainland – Ben Poisson, Prince George Spruce Kings
Interior – Nicholas Wick, Merritt Centennials
Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy – Coach of the Year
Island – Matt Hughes, Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Mainland – Adam Maglio, Prince George Spruce Kings
Interior – Bliss Littler, Wenatchee Wild
The Vipers close out the regular season with home games Friday against the Wenatchee Wild (7 p.m.) and the Trail Smoke Eaters on Saturday (6 p.m.). Vernon enters the weekend in third place in the Interior Division, four points back of the Penticton Vees and tied with the Wild.
Vernon and Wenatchee have essentially identical records (Wild are 37-14-4-1, Vipers 37-14-1-4) but the Wild sit in second because they have won three of the five meetings with the Vipers this year.
newstips@vernonmorningstar.com
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