This week the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League announces its overall award winners in seven categories – Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player and Coach of the Year.
The next and final award winner is for Most Valuable Player and goes to Tristan Weill of the Kimberley Dynamiters.
Weill, 19, led the Dynamiters with 71 points in 36 games, ranking him second in the KIJHL, though his 1.97 points-per-game led the league. He scored 38 goals, 10 are game-winners, and 25 power-play points, while playing 16:42 a game. The West Kelowna product was also a plus-26 and won 58 per cent of faceoffs. Weill was named the Hudl Instat KIJHL Top Forward three times.
“Statistically he had a fantastic year,” says Dynamiters head coach-general manager Derek Stuart. “He was a dangerous threat and I know a lot of opponents strictly based their game plan against us to stop him.”
The success the 5-10, 175-pound forward enjoyed is a result of the off-season work he put in, coming into camp in shape. As Stuart puts it, “he works hard for a point producer.”
Weill became “elite” in taking faceoffs by working at it and got better with puck battles.
“He’s a strong kid, who isn’t afraid to battle and get the puck,” says Stuart, who also saw Weill mature a lot. “His speed causes so much trouble for opponents. You put that kind of work ethic, and strength, and skill with that speed, it’s pretty hard to stop.”
