Three Penticton Vees are trophy winners.
James Miller was selected by league coaches as the B.C. Hockey League’s regular season top defenceman and Jack LaFontaine and Derek Krall won the Wally Forslund Trophy as top goalie tandem (lowest combined goals against average) with a 2.33 GAA.
LaFontaine, 21, from Toronto, Ont. was also voted the league’s top goalie.
He finished his only season in Penticton with a 30-10-2-1 record with a 2.19 goals against average and .923 save percentage along with three shutouts.
Three times this season LaFontaine was named the BCHL’s player of the week and rattled off eight consecutive victories from Jan. 6 to Feb. 1.
He was instrumental to the Vees success down the stretch, starting 19 of the Vees final 21 games posting a record of 13-3-2 to help Penticton clinch an eighth consecutive Interior Division pennant.
LaFontaine is the 15th Vee to win the BCHL’s top goaltender award and fourth in the previous eight seasons. Most recently was Zach Driscoll in 2016.
For he and Krall this marked the sixth time in the past seven seasons Penticton has won the Wally Forslund Trophy, 2017/18 was they only time they didn’t during that span.
A Spruce Grove, Alta. native, Miller, 21, was also the Interior Division nominee for the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy which was won by Victoria Grizzlies forward Alexander Campbell.
His 62 points ranked second among BCHL defencemen, trailing only Victoria’s Carter Berger by a single point.
Related: Double win for Okanagan Junior A team in season finalé
Miller was also relied upon heavily to shutdown opposing teams top players both at even strength and on the penalty kill while averaging nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game.
Miller finished the 2018-19 season appearing in all 58 games and shattering previous personal career highs with 18 goals and 44 assists.
Related: Okanagan junior A squad in race for division title
Penticton plays host to the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the first round of the best of seven Fred Page Cup playoffs Thursday at 7 p.m. at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The second game is Saturday at 6 p.m. at the SOEC.
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Mark Brett | Reporter
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