This week the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) will announce its Overall Award winners for on-ice excellence: Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player, Coach of the Year and General Manager of the Year.
Today the KIJHL is pleased to announce that Terry Jones of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks is the winner of the Coach of the Year Award.
“This season, Terry has done an exceptional job. Since retiring from teaching, he’s fully committed to the team, often at the rink twice a day,” said Nitehawks president Steve Piccolo. “This dedication has helped him create a strong, cohesive squad right from the start.”
What impressed Piccolo the most about Jones’ work was his ability to “foster a family-like atmosphere among the players.”
“Terry’s hands-on approach and work ethic have significantly boosted our team’s growth and performance,” he said. “His enthusiasm for the game and genuine care for each player created a positive environment that promotes teamwork and resilience.
“What’s funny is that we can’t go to a rink or a town without somebody coming up to Terry and talking to him,” continued Piccolo. “He’s very well-known in the hockey community.”
The winningest coach in the KIJHL guided the Nitehawks to a Neil Murdoch Division regular season title with a record of 33-11 for 66 points, which placed them second overall in the league.
The Nitehawks were the highest scoring team in the league with 208 goals and their top goal-scorer is Brady Magarrell with 33 in 44 games. Magarrell also led the team with 75 points – more than double his output from his rookie season. They have four players who finished with 20 goals or more. The Nitehawks are also among the best at keeping the puck out of their net – allowing 125 goals. Their team save percentage is .910 and goals against average is 2.83. Landan Uzeloc led with 13 wins in 20 games, while rookie Karsten Hugenholtz won all 10 games he started. The Nitehawks had a 19-5 record in their division and were 5-0 against the Doug Birks Division.
