One of the keys to the Richmond Sockeyes impressive run in recent years was on full display last weekend when the junior hockey club held its year-end banquet and awarded 23 scholarships valued at $18,000.
Thanks to the Sockeyes ownership group, player alumni, supporters and the business community, the team's scholarship program has been a tremendous success. The end result is Richmond being the envy of other teams in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League for not only developing top end talent but also providing a significant incentive for players to pursue their education and stay with the Sockeyes program.
The 2011-12 scholarship winners included: Carter Popoff $500 (Ashton Service Group), Kootenay Alder $500 (Mark Donnelly), Dylan Smith $500 (Al Brew), Ryan Cooper $750 (Ron and Billy Frame), Kyzen Loo $1,250 (Dennis Minns), Dean Allison $500 (Bruce Allison), Kevin Kilistoff $500 (Pacific Coastal Airlines), Rudi Thorsteinson $1000 (Gord and Shirley Hayes), Troy Kaczynski $500 (Richmond News), Clayton Wright $1,000 (Richmond Fire and Rescue), Patrick Hunter $1,250 (Ken and Bev Kirby), Jeremy Hamaguchi $1,000 (PIJHL), Mike Ball $1,500 (Romeo Bon), Sam Chichak $750 (Harry Minns), Dominic Centis $500 (Richmond Review), Justin Rai $500 (Seafair Minor Hockey), Daniel Tait $500 (Richmond Minor Hockey), Justin Lachance $500 (Harry Jenkins), Keenan Webb $1,500 (Milan Ilich), Mathew Wagner $750 (Joe Huculak), Tyler Klassen $250 (Lorne Williams), Connor Wilson $750 (Rocky Gardiner) and Scott Wessa $1,000 (Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
The Sockeyes will also be awarding scholarships to graduating players from the Richmond Minor and Seafair Minor Hockey Associations.
Icing... The host Abbotsford Pilots captured the Cyclone Taylor Cup last weekend with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Victoria Cougars in the championship game. The Pilots roster includes goaltender Aaron Oakley, a former Sockeye and Seafair Minor Hockey alumni. Abbotsford will now represent B.C. at the Keystone Cup Western Canadian Championships in Saskatoon.
The PIJHL champion Delta Ice Hawks finished in third place after a 5-3 victory over Kootenay champion Beaver Valley Nitehawks in the bronze medal game. The Ice Hawks roster featured six players who grew up playing their minor hockey for Seafair or Richmond. They included Cody Fidgett, Mitch Pacey, Aaron Merrick, Taylor Kislanko, Ryan Cuthbert and Kody Botterhill.
