Grand Forks Border Bruins Tyler Burke, Russell Kosec and Eric Kahl have been selected as the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League 3 Stars of the Month for April.
Burke – Top Forward – The Vernon native scored 13 goals and added 11 assists for 24 points in 11 games, helping the Border Bruins capture the KIJHL Teck Cup, and B.C. Hockey’s Mowat Cup, as Junior A champions. En route to winning the Teck Cup, Burke scored six goals, including a winner, and added seven assists in seven games and was named the Teck Cup MVP. Burke registered five multi-point games, including two three-point performances against the Revelstoke Grizzlies (7-3 in a Game 1 win on April 8 and a 5-2 Game 4 win on April 13). Burke netted the winner in their 5-1 win in Game 3 on April 12 in which he scored twice. In the four Mowat Cup games, Burke had seven goals and 11 points against the Ridge Meadows Flames. He assisted on Levi Astill’s game-winner in a 5-3 final on April 23, then he scored a hat-trick in a Game 3, 5-4 loss and had two points in Game 4 – 9-6 win. Burke played an average of 19:51 a game and was a plus 10. Burke was selected the Top Forward of the week twice during the playoffs.
Kosec – Top Defenceman – The Kelowna native collected nine assists in 11 games for the Border Bruins, while playing an average of 24:17 a game and being plus 15 to help them win the KIJHL Teck Cup and Mowat Cup. Kosec had two multi-point games then added another two assists during the Mowat Cup.
He assisted on the insurance goal in their 7-3 Game 1 win over Revelstoke and collected another assist in that game. In Game 4, Kosec collected an assist that gave the Border Bruins a 2-1 lead in an eventual 5-2 final. Kosec collected an assist in each of the final two games of the Mowatt Cup, including on the 6-3 goal by Nash Wassing in what finished a 9-6 Border Bruins win. Kosec was named a Top Defenceman twice this season.
Kahl – Top Goalie – The Saskatoon, Sask. native won seven of his eight games to help the Border Bruins capture the KIJHL Teck Cup and the Mowat Cup. Kahl stopped 215 of 231 shots for a 2.18 goals against average and a .931 save percentage to close out the Teck Cup playoffs. Twice Kahl stopped 40 or more shots – the first was April 2 against Kimberley – he saved 43 shots in a 3-2 overtime win. His second came in the Teck Cup clinching game against the Grizzlies, making 40 saves in a 5-2 win on April 13. In his lone appearance in the Mowat Cup, Kahl stopped 30 of 36 shots for an .833 SP. Kahl was named the Top Goalie of the week for three straight weeks and this is his second Top Goalie of the Month selection, his first coming in January.
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