At the SHL’s eighth annual awards banquet, Commissioner Frank Driscoll handed out trophies honoring the league’s best players and coaches. As always, the awards were chosen based on votes from SHL players, coaches, and media.
Commissioner Driscoll noted that presenting these awards is one of his favorite job duties. “I’m glad that we’re able to take some time to recognize the people that really make our league great: our players and our coaches,” the commissioner noted. “Nobody ever bought a ticket to watch me play hockey – and they never would, because I’m terrible at it. If it weren’t for the hard work and brilliance of our players and our coaches, we wouldn’t have anything worth watching, and I’m glad for the chance to recognize that.”
The 2023 award winners are as follows:
Most Valuable Player: Richard McKinley, Quebec Tigres
This year, the MVP vote came down to three top candidates, all of whom played for one of the two division winners. Two of them play for the Anchorage Igloos. One is the defending MVP, C Jake Frost, who turned in a typically excellent year that earned him a couple additional awards, as noted below. The other was G Ty Worthington, who stood alone as the league’s best netminder. Frost and Worthington, however, split the vote among Igloos supporters, opening the way for McKinley to claim the honor. It’s the first time in SHL history that a non-forward has won the MVP honor.
The 24-year-old McKinley earned the nod through his exemplary two-way play and on-ice leadership. His 56 points led the Tigres and placed him sixth in the league overall; his 34 assists were also tops on the team, while his 22 goals placed him third. Defensively, he blocked 101 shots while spending just 18 minutes in the penalty box. He and Laurie Workman formed a highly effective top pairing for Quebec.
Perhaps the greatest testimony to his value, sadly, came in the Finals. McKinley was injured in Game 2 of the series, and the Tigres visibly suffered in the absence of their defensive leader, ultimately falling in five game. The blueliner was still on crutches and wearing an air cast on his right leg as he came up to accept the award.
“Obviously, I’d hoped to be holding a bigger trophy this year,” said McKinley, referring to the Vandy. “But it’s no small feat to be chosen as Most Valuable Player, and I take it as a token of the esteem of my fellow players, the coaches, and the reporters who watch us play. When you think of it that way, it’s really humbling.”
Rookie of the Year: Gaston Manigault, Portland Bluebacks
According to Driscoll, the Rookie of the Year selection was the most challenging choice. “Usually, we have a handful of obvious favorites for each award,” said the commissioner. “This year, though, we had a wide-open field. Over a dozen players received votes, which is a testament to the great work our farm system is doing in developing prospects.”
While Driscoll is correct that the field of contenders for ROY was large, that’s due in part to the fact that there were no slam-dunk choices among the rookie crop. None of the rookies finished with as many as 40 points. Only two of them finished with more than 100 blocks. Among the goalies, none finished with a GAA below 2.50 or a save percentage above the .905 mark.
With a wide field and no clear favorite, the voters wound up selecting Manigault, the 19-year-old defenseman who was chosen with the fourth overall pick in the draft. Manigault finished the season with 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) and 121 blocks, a total that led all rookies and placed him just outside the top ten leaguewide. In another rough season for the Bluebacks, Manigault and fellow first-pick C Wade Mayfair (who was the runner-up for the ROY honor), gave beleaguered fans reason for optimism.
“Honestly, I was shocked to win this award,” said Manigault. “There were so many good rookies out there, I figured I would be forgotten. But instead, you remembered me. Thank you! I will use this honor to inspire me to great heights in my career.”
Coach of the Year: Gilbert McCoyne, Michigan Gray Wolves
When McCoyne took over as coach of the Wolves in 2021, they were coming off a last-place season in which they recorded just 50 points. Since then, the cheerful coach has overseen a steady improvement in the team’s fortunes, turning over a veteran-heavy roster and improving by 10 points every season.
This year, that improvement was enough to keep Michigan in contention for the division title until the season’s last week. Then in the , the Wolves defeated the defending champion Milwaukee Growlers and the perennial powerhouse Anchorage Igloos to reach the Finals, where they took out the dangerous Quebec Tigres in five games to win their first Vandy since 2016.
“Getting this honor on top of the Vandy, it’s really been an incredible month,” said McCoyne. “But really, this is a testament to the amazing group of guys we have on our team. They’re such a talented and driven bunch, so dedicated to squeezing every last drop out of their talent, that it’s just a pleasure to lead them.”
Finishing second to McCoyne for the award was Washington’s Nick Foster, who led his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Other finalists included Quebec’s Martin Delorme and Anchorage’s Sam Castor.
Sharp Shooter Award and Commissioner’s Trophy: C Jake Frost, Anchorage Igloos
The Sharp Shooter Award and the Commissioner’s Trophy are the two awards that are not given out as the result of a vote. The Sharp Shooter Award is given to the player who finished with the highest goal total, while the Commissioner’s Trophy is bestowed on the player with the most points.
For the second time in league history, the same player captured both awards: Frost. The veteran center has long been the league’s best scorers; indeed, this is the second straight year that he captured the Sharp Shooter. It wasn’t a close race; Frost’s 44 goals placed him 13 ahead of his nearest competitor, Quebec’s Stephane Mirac.
In addition to his goals, however, Frost also produced 22 assists, giving him a total of 66 points. This allowed him to take the Commissioner’s Trophy by a single point over his linemates, LW Jerry Koons and RW Nicklas Ericsson.
“I know these are technically individual awards, but to me this is a team award, because there’s no way I could do this without Nicky and Koonsy,” said Frost. “We’ve got that magical chemistry; it’s like we’ve been playing together since our shinny days. Next step: get the Vandy back!”
Goalie of the Year: Ty Worthington, Anchorage
Worthington and his Igloos teammates may have fallen short in their quest for a fourth Vandy, but the Igloos netminder has established himself as the consensus best goalie in the league after taking home this award for the third time in four seasons.
After losing out to Riki Tiktuunen last season, Worthington reclaimed the award this year with a sterling campaign in which he went 33-12-3 with a 2.24 GAA and a .916 save percentage. He tied with Tiktuunen for the league lead in wins, but comfortably outpaced his Canadian rival in GAA and save percentage, finishing second and tied for second, respectively, in those categories.
“We all know goalies have a reputation for being a little kooky,” said Igloos coach Sam Castor. “Ty certainly has has quirks, but overall, he’s a really steady kind of guy. He’s one of the building blocks of our success, because he goes out there every night and puts up a solid effort. And on the rare occasion that he has a bad night, he’s put it behind him by his next start. He’s a rock for us, no question about it.”
Besides Tiktuunen, other award finalists included Michigan’s Dennis Wampler and Hamilton’s Lasse Koskinen.
Defenseman of the Year: Hercules Mulligan, Hamilton Pistols
Kansas City’s Gary Hermine has won this award the last two years, and after leading the league in blocks again this year while also producing his usual offensive contributions. Instead, however, this time the voters chose Mulligan, who also produced some impressive two-way numbers this season.
The Pistols blueliner recorded 157 blocks this season, placing him third in the league behind Hermine and his KC teammate Bastien Chouinard. Offensively, Mulligan outshone Hermine, finishing with 52 points, placing him fourth among SHL defenseman and in the top ten overall. As a crowning achievement, Mulligan led the league in penalty minutes with 91, a testament to the edge in his game.
“See, that’s what happens when you’re up against the ruffians,” said Mulligan of his award. “I need no introduction. When you knock me down, I get the [bleep] back up again!”
Besides Hermine, Quebec’s Richard McKinley, Milwaukee’s Zander Phthalo, and Washington’s Wyatt Barnes were finalists for the honor.
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