Emanuel Sequeira
KIJHL Communications
Osoyoos Coyotes goalie Curt Doyle, Kimberley Dynamiters forward Brock Palmer and North Okanagan Knights defenceman Cole Haberlack have been selected as the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s (KIJHL) Hot In The KI 3 Stars for Nov. 4-11.
Doyle, a Kamloops native, earns the first start after he helped the Coyotes snap a 17-game winless skid with a 3-1 win in Kamloops against the Storm on Nov. 8. Doyle turned aside 33 of 34 shots. The next night at home against the 100 Mile House Wranglers, Doyle was named the game star as he stopped 41 of 43 shots in a 2-2 tie. In two games, Doyle turned aside 74 of 77 shots.
“The victory felt great, we have a very hard working group of guys and it was nice to help reward them with the win,” says Doyle, who picked up his first victory of the season after being dealt to Osoyoos from Nelson. “I thought I had a really solid game. I loved my time in Kamloops and I haven’t really been back much since, so it was a game I was looking forward to.”
Palmer is the second star after he netted a hat-trick, including the game-winner on the power-play to lead the Dynamiters past the Castlegar Rebels, 7-6 on Nov. 8. Palmer, of Coaldale, Alta., earned the game star for his performance, which included an assist.
“I felt we had a good team game with lots of secondary scoring to keep us in the game,” says Palmer, who leads the KIJHL with 43 points in 17 games. “Our PP had lots of chances all game long and I was lucky enough to get a bounce in front of the net in OT.”
The third star goes to Haberlack of Okotoks, Alta. Haberlack scored a goal and added two assists in a 5-4 win over the Kelowna Chiefs on Nov. 5. Haberlack’s goal on the power-play gave the Knights at 4-3 lead with three minutes remaining. He also assisted on Kevin-Thomas Walter’s eventual winner, a short-handed empty net goal with 1:03 remaining.
“Playing against Kelowna was pretty intimidating at first with their solid records in the last two years of playing against them, but I felt as if a solid game on our part could do it,” says Haberlack. “It definitely felt really, really good to contribute to helping our team win, every goal we scored was super exciting. All I could think was, ‘Wow, we can win this!'”
In 18 games, Haberlack has six goals and 13 points.
