Although the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy will not be heading back to Maple Ridge this year, the community still has a reason to be proud, as it’s a former Maple Ridge player that has received the honour of being named the WHL Coach of the Year for the 2022-23 season.

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Brennan Sonne, who spent years playing as a member of the Ridge Meadows Flames, has won the award for the first time due to this his impressive performance as the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades.

In the 68-game season, Sonne was able to lead his team to 48 wins and surpassed 100 points, which is something that the Blades hadn’t done in more than a decade.

But Sonne explained that he’s just a small piece of the puzzle that allowed his team to achieve these results and earned him the trophy.

“It is truly an organizational award, starting with the players,” said Sonne. “This season we’ve had a group of dedicated teammates, fantastic leadership, and a work ethic you wouldn’t believe.”

“This staff is awesome, incredible human beings who are a pleasure to work with every single day.”

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Sonne’s win marks the first for the Saskatoon Blades since the 1993-94 season, and a B.C. team has not won the WHL Coach of the Year award since Dave Lowry of the Victoria Royals took it home for the second time in the 2015-16 season.