Goalie Logan Neaton and defenceman Layton Ahac, both of the Prince George Spruce Kings, have been selected as the Mainland Division nominees for B.C. Hockey League individual awards.
Neaton, a UMass-Lowell college recruit for next season, currently has the league's best goals-against average (1.90) and his .916 save percentage ranks third in the league. The 20-year-old joined the Spruce Kings this season from Fairbanks of the NAHL and has gone on to set a new Kings' record for wins in a season with 31.
He'll take a 31-8-0 record into the weekend as the Spruce Kings wrap up the regular season with games tonight (7 p.m.) and Saturday against the Chilliwack Chiefs. Neaton and backup goalie Keenan Rancier are also in the hunt for the Wally Forslund Trophy that goes to the top goalie tandem.
Kurtis Chapman of the Victoria Grizzlies and Jack LaFontaine of the Penticton Vees are the respective Island Division and Interior Division nominees for the top goaltender award.
Ahac, 17, a six-foot-two, 187-pound native of North Vancouver who has signed an NCAA scholarship commitment at Ohio State University, has been on the NHL Central Scouting's radar all season, listed as a B prospect, a potential second-to-fifth-round pick in the June draft. Through 51 games, the stay-at-home blueliner has three goals and 26 assists for 29 points.
Ahac is up against nominees Carter Berger (Victoria) and James Miller (Penticton) for the defenceman award.
Forward Alex Newhook of the Grizzlies is nominated for the Vern Dye Memorial Award as the league's most valuable player, as well as forward Kevin Wall of Chilliwack (Mainland) and defenceman James Miller of Penticton (Interior).
Newhook leads the scoring race with 35 goals and 59 assists for 94 points in 52 games and has a virtual lock on the Brett Hull Award that goes to the regular-season scoring champion. He leads second-place Ryan Brushett of Powell River by 12 points heading into the final weekend.
Wall is also in the running for the Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year, along with forward Kent Johnson of the Trail Smoke Eaters (Interior) and forward Alex Campbell of the Victoria (Island).
Campbell was also nominated for the Bob Fenton Trophy as most sportsmanlike player with forward Kalen Szeto of the Langley Rivermen (Mainland) and forward Mike Hardman of the West Kelowna Warriors (Interior).
The Chiefs (42-13-1-0) locked up the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy as regular season champions with their 2-1 win Sunday at home over Prince George. The Spruce Kings (37-13-1-5) are trying to remain ahead of the third-overall Penticton Vees (35-15-3-2) and hold a five-point edge over the Vees needing just one more point tonight or Saturday to wrap up second overall. Penticton has three games left.
Spruce Kings coach Adam Maglio has to be considered a favourite to win the Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy as coach of the year, as voted on by the league's broadcasters. The nominees will be announced later this week.
