Playing the lead role on his biggest stage yet, Tyson Jost produced yet another award-winning performance.
The former Okanagan Rockets and current Penticton Vees forward was named the tournament’s valuable player in leading Team West to the gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge.
Jost scored what turned out to be the game winner as Team West defeated Russia 2-1 in the championship game Saturday in Cobourg, Ont.
Jost, Team West’s captain, led the tournament in scoring with three goals and nine points in four games.
Jost, originally from St. Albert, AB, led the BCMML in scoring with the Rockets as a 15-year-old during the 2013-14 season with 44 goals and 88 points. He also paced Okanagan to the B.C. title and a bronze medal effort at the Telus Cup national midget championship in Moose Jaw.
This season, his second with the Vees, Jost has 24 goals and 61 points in just 30 games.
David Michaud has watched Jost’s development over the last 2 1/2 seasons, first as GM of the Okanagan Rockets and more recently as the director of player development for the Vees.
“Tyson continues to impress, to be able to lead a completely new group of players to gold at an event like the World Jr A challenge shows the type of young man he is,” Michaud said. “He deserves all of the attention and the accolades he’s receiving this season, he’s a special player and a special person. We are awfully excited to get him back in our lineup in Penticton and hopefully go on another long playoff run.”
Jost is projected to be a first-round pick in next summer’s NHL entry draft.
He is property of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips but has committed to the University of North Dakota State Sioux for next season.
Meanwhile, Jost’s former Okanagan Rockets teammate, Liam Finlay of the Vernon Vipers, was also a member of the gold-medal winning Team West.
Finlay had two goals and three assists in the tournament.
