Only two defencemen can make the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League all-star team. Prince George's Jeremy Gervais is one of them.
Gervais, who manned a blueline spot for the Cariboo Cougars this past season, was selected to the league's all-star squad on Tuesday. Voting was done by BCHMML coaches. The only stipulation was that coaches couldn't vote for players on their own team.
"That's awesome for him and for our organization," said Cougars head coach Trevor Sprague. "Jeremy has worked hard to be recognized by other coaches within the league and we're pretty proud of the season the team had and what he had."
Gervais, who turned 17 in January, had 36 points in 40 regular-season games. His 12 goals led all defencemen.
"He's got a great eye for the offensive part of the game and jumping in at the right spots to get some nice goals," Sprague said. "But, also, if you take a look at his stats, he had a few assists there too, so his vision for the game is very good. He makes people better around him."
Gervais is eligible to return to the Cariboo club in 2016-17, a season in which the Cougars will host the Telus Cup national championship tournament. But there's a chance he could end up in the Western Hockey League with the Prince George Cougars, who added him to their protected list last fall.
"Obviously with the Telus Cup and everything, we'd love to have him back," said Sprague, who doubles as a scout for the local WHL team. "But if the Cougars decide to keep him and he walks into camp and earns a spot, then that's where he's going to play."
Gervais couldn't be reached for comment on Wednesday.
The other defenceman named to the all-star team was Carter Stephenson of the Vancouver Northwest Giants. Stephenson, who is expected to skate for the B.C. Hockey League's Vernon Vipers next season, piled up 46 points (40 of them assists) in 38 games.
The all-star forwards are Ben Evanish (Valley West Hawks), Josh Latta (Vancouver Northwest Giants) and James Malm (Valley West Hawks). Cole Demers of the Okanagan Rockets got the nod as the all-star goaltender.
