The Cowichan Valley Capitals held their year-end awards last week ahead of the start of their playoff series against the Surrey Eagles.
Brock Cummings was named the team’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. In 54 regular-season games, the Mississauga Machine scored 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points in 54 games.
Cummings finished the regular season just behind Nanaimo product Luke Lavery, who won the team’s scoring title with 46 points from 22 goals and 24 assists, and Czar, Alta.’s Matthew Swanson, whose play, including his 19 goals and 23 helpers for 42 points, earned him the Coach’s Award.
Swedish import Matteus Söderbom was named the team’s Most Improved Player while Kent Moors of Kanata, Ont. was the group’s Unsung Hero.
Luke Santilli, of Reading Mass., was named the team’s Top Defensive Defenceman while Trois-Rivières, Que.’s Frédéric Deschênes was named Top Gun Defenceman.
Langley product Darius Bachler was the team’s most inspirational player.
Mattéo Lamoureux, Spencer Shugrue, Brady Yakesh, Matthew Swanson, and Luke Lavery are all aging out of junior hockey. Lavery is moving on to play college hockey at Providence for the 2024-25 season while Yakesh is committed to play NCAA Division 1 Hockey with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Forwards Andrej Kovacevic and Lars-Petter Eckholm are also headed to the NCAA for the 2024-25 season on commitments to Quinnipiac and the University of New Hampshire.