By Cassandra Federico, Special to the Times Review
The Grizzlies annual awards banquet was held on Sunday, Feb. 8, where the team honoured their coaches, owners, volunteers, and of course their players.
Coach Ryan Parent said thank you to everyone involved with the Grizzlies over the season, and handed out awards to some of the players.
“It`s hard to pinpoint any one individual,” he said. “If I could, I would give out 23 awards today, because I think you all deserve it.”
The first award given out was for the team’s top scorer, which went to Tyler Chavez-Leech, who has an impressive 31 goals over the season.
The Top Defenseman award went to local player Nii Noi Tetteh, who Parent praised for his hard work, and dedication over the season.
The Most Valuable Player and Top Rookie awards were given to Steven Fiust, who leads the team in points with 57.
“It`s not often that you see your most valuable player blocking shots on the ice, but he does on a nightly basis,” Parent said of Fiust.
Ethan Waitzner was named Most Improved for his efforts over the season. Parent mentioned how reliable and dependable Waitzner is.
Team captain Kenny Batke was named Most Dedicated. Local player Louie Federico was given the award for Most Sportsmanlike. Assistant coach Rostislav Prihonsky gave Federico his award, saying “he`s a small guy, with a big heart.”
Griffin Fried was honoured with Most Inspirational. “He stands up for his teammates on a nightly basis,” Parent said.
The Unsung Hero award went to Ryan Hozjan. “He not only plays hurt, he plays injured, and he`s always there for his teammates,” said Parent of Hozjan.
The last award given out was the Community Honor award, which went to Zach Paxman. Parent talked about Paxman’s constant attendance at community events, and his keen and willing attitude while doing so.
