The 2015-16 Alberta Junior Hockey League awards have a distinct Pontiacs flavour. Centreman Bobby McMann won league MVP, blue liner Brinson Pasichnuk was named top defenceman and head coach Rick Swan was selected at the AJHL coach of the year.
“Obviously the league holds these guys in high regard,” said AJHL Commissioner Ryan Bartoshyk. “They are two special athletes and a great coach. We really appreciate (Swan's) knowledge of the game and what he brings to the table. It is a great accomplishment for them individually, but also for the organization.”
Bartoshyk was at the RJ Lalonde Arena on Friday night to present the hardware to the three award winners and lead off by handing McMann the AJHL's top honour.
McMann would go on to score his 35th goal of the season just 1:20 into the first period against the visiting Fort McMurray Oil Barons to give the Pontiacs an early 1-0 lead. The goal, along with an assist recorded later in the contest allowed him to climb to 63 points on this season through 45 games.
“He has been our elite offensive guy since day one. It is great that he was recognized,” said Swan. “I know that for most teams in the CJHL and for most teams in the our league (McMann) would be there first pick.”
The 19-year-old Wainwright native was the clear choice for the most valuable player title as he leads all MVP candidates in goals (35), game-winning goals (9), power play goals (8) and shorthanded goals (2). He has been on a tear of late notching 11 goals and eight assists in his last 13 games, including goals in four straight games.
“Bob is the best forward in this league. His skating is NHL quality. He is an incredible player,” said teammate Brinson Pasichnuk.
McMann joins Harry York (1994-95) and Mark Letestu (2005-06) as the only Pontiacs to win the AJHL MVP award.
Pasichnuk, who has caught the eye of the hockey world this season with his offensive flare, also found himself in the MVP discussions before being named the league's most outstanding defenceman.
“If a forward put up his type of numbers he would be getting NCAA scholarship consideration, never mind doing it as a defenceman,” said Swan. “Brinson is a special player with a gift.”
The speedy, offensively gifted defenceman is not afraid to jump up into the rush and make magic happen in the offensive zone. Pasichnuk has collected 19 goals and 63 points breaking Matthew Register's record for most goals (16) and points (61) as a Pontiacs defenceman.
While the 18-year-old Bonnyville native has scored quite a number of brilliant goals this season, such as a hat trick at the AJHL Showcase weekend in Camrose or a beautiful overtime winner against the Calgary Mustangs, a recent performance against Spruce Grove is what stands out in his mind.
“I scored in Spruce Grove to tie the game up. It went to a shootout and I scored the game winner. That was one of my favourite goals,” said Pasichnuk.
Pasichnuk, who has six goals and 11 points over the course of Bonnyville's current five game winning streak, is one of the players Swan credits with having a huge hand in his success.
The third year Pontiacs head coach and GM was quite humble about being named the league's top bench boss, recognizing his staff and players for their contributions in his success.
“Larry Draper is as good of a coach as you could imagine and I have two young guys in Mark Jensen and Craig Cuthbert who are both bright hockey minds,” said Swan. “It takes a lot of great people around you to get that recognition.”
Swan took over Bonnyville's top job in 2013 and with the help of associate coach Larry Draper, turned a middle of the pack team into a serious contender in the AJHL's north division. Under his tutelage the Pontiacs went from 26-28-6 in 2013-14 to a 38-11-9 team in 2015-16.
“It takes time to build something special and I think that is what they have done in this community with this organization,” said Bartoshyk. “They have a great group of athletes and a great coaching staff here in Bonnyville.”
