The United States Hockey League is pleased to announce its award winners for the 2007-08 season. Award finalists were nominated by their coaches and placed on the league ballot. The coaches then voted for the winners, but were not allowed to vote for their own players.
The Leonard, Street and Deinard Executive of the Year and the Highwood Rings Organization of the Year awards were decided by a vote of the league presidents.
"We're extremely proud of each of our winners and we congratulate them on a job extremely well done during the 2007-08 season," said USHL president Gino Gasparini. "It isn't an easy thing to perform at your absolute best on a consistent basis over nine months, but these athletes, coaches, and organizations did it and we're happy for them and the success that they've achieved."
Jason Gregoire is in his second season with the Stars, serving as their team captain and leading Lincoln in goals (37) and points (69). He was among the league's scoring leaders throughout the season and was chosen to play in the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game. For his consistent, high-end effort, Gregoire is the recipient of the B2 Networks USHL Player of the Year Award as well as the CCM Forward of the Year Award.
"There's a reason why he's been chosen as the Player of the Year. The guys in our room respect him and the guys around the league respect him," said Lincoln head coach Jimmy McGroarty. "He's our hardest worker both on and off the ice. He's such a humble kid. He respects all aspects of the game.
"It would have been easy for him to coast this year. He's already been drafted and already has his scholarship, but he came back, set goals for himself and attained them. He just brings so much to our team every day."
Gregoire, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was chosen by the New York Islanders in the 2007 NHL Draft (third round, 76th overall) and will play his college hockey beginning next season at the University of North Dakota. Gregoire is the 16th player to receive both the player of the year and forward of the year awards in the same season. He is also the first non-American to be named the USHL's top player since 2000, when Omaha goaltender Dan Ellis won the award.
"He's just such a complete kid," McGroarty said. "I like to look at kids who come into this league and wonder how they would be if the game was taken away from them. Jason is a kid who would survive and succeed without the game. I couldn't be happier for him. He's a special player and a special person. It's been a pleasure to coach him."
Gregoiore's 37 goals were the second-most ever scored in a season for Lincoln.
Jack Connolly joined the Sioux Falls Stampede this year and looked like anything but a rookie. In fact, the Duluth, Minn. native came in and took the league by storm, finishing the season in a tie for the league scoring title. Connolly racked up 72 points on 26 goals and 46 assists and together with Jake Hansen, formed one of the most formidable scoring duos in the USHL in 07-08. For his extraordinary first-season efforts, Connolly was chosen to play in the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game, an honor he got to share with his brother, Omaha Lancers forward Chris Connolly, becoming the first set of brothers to play in the USHL's mid-season classic since 1992.
"Jack is certainly the best pure center I have had here in Sioux Falls, and maybe ever," said Stampede head coach Kevin Hartzell. "He has great vision, great hands and an ability to feel the defender with his body and then move elsewhere to buy time and space. He's really gifted and really a fun young man to be around. A special player."
Connolly is committed to play college hockey in his hometown with the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Blake Kessel is in his second season with the Waterloo Black Hawks and has become one of the best offensive defenseman the USHL has seen in recent years. After putting up 11-27-38 as a rookie last year, Kessel evolved into the leader of Waterloo's blue line corps and their quarterback on the power play, scoring 19 goals and 57 points in his second USHL season.
"For a guy that really had to break his back to make a team a year ago, Blake Kessel has developed into one of the finest defensemen this league has had in a long time. I realize that's a pretty large statement but it's the truth," said Waterloo head coach P.K. O'Handley. "Blake is one of the finest young men you could ever meet. He has represented the Black Hawks well and will be a huge ambassador for the USHL for years to come."
The Verona, Wis. native is a two-time USHL All-Star and was a member of the USHL All-Rookie Team a year ago. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, going 166 overall. He is committed to play college hockey at the University of New Hampshire.
If you had to point to one player that turned around the season for Lincoln, look no further than David Reekie. After joining the team in November, Reekie appeared in 38 games for the Stars, fashioning a 23-10-4 record, while leading the league with a 2.01 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and six shutouts.
"I know one individual doesn't change a team, but David came in and turned our season around. When you get a kid from major junior, you don't always know what you're going to get. He came in and brought confidence and experience to our locker room and put us in a position to win every night," McGroarty said. "The numbers don't lie. He's a great goalie and a classy kid. It's been an honor to coach him."
Reekie, a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, will be seeking opportunities in professional hockey after the season.
The Curt Hammer Award is given annually to the player who distinguishes himself in the USHL as the most gentlemanly player, both on and off the ice. He demonstrates outstanding performance skills, pride and determination. The award goes to the individual who best reflects the goals of the USHL, his team and the organization. His performance reflects a desire to achieve success all within the established rules of the USHL and the accepted bounds of courteous conduct.
Miller is in his second year in the league, and first season in Sioux City. During the regular season, Miller led the Musketeers in goals with 23 and was tied for the team overall scoring lead with 49 points. He's also one of Sioux City's team captains and most consistent players.
"Joey is an extremely hard worker both on and off the ice. He's well respected and liked by his teammates and accepted the duties that go with being a captain without any questions. He won our '7th Man Award,' which goes to the player who demonstrates full commitment to being a team player and leads by example on and off the ice," said Sioux City head coach Dave Siciliano. "He's definitely one of the hardest working players that I have coached."
The Wayzata, Minn. native has yet to make his college commitment.
The 2007-08 season is the first year that the USHL has recognized one player as the Student-Athlete of the Year. The first-ever award goes to Sioux Falls' Matt Farris. A native of Pierre, S.D., Farris currently carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average while going through a range of honors and AP (advanced placement) coursework. Farris scored 30 out of a possible 34 on his ACT.
"Matt is an incredible young man. He is dedicated like few others. He takes his personal improvement, both in the classroom and on the ice with a focus I have rarely seen," Hartzell said. "His game continues to develop and with his outstanding work in the classroom, he will be allowed to choose from the very best academic institutions in America."
In his first year in the USHL, Farris appeared in 46 games for the Stampede, scoring five goals and 15 points. He has not yet made a college commitment.
Early in the 2006-07 season, Steve Poapst took over a Chicago Steel team that was fledgling. The team was mired in a miserable season, and on track to finish dead-last in the USHL. What a difference a year makes. Poapst has led the Steel to significant turnaround, a 44-point improvement to be exact. The result was a jump to fourth place in the East Division and a berth in the Clark Cup Playoffs. The improvement also earned Poapst KwikRink Coach of the Year honors for 2007-08.
"You can't say enough about the coaching job that Steve did in Chicago this year," said Gasparini. "Everyone knows the challenges that the team faces, playing in such a major metropolitan area. Steve has brought stability to that coaching position, creating a little stir around the franchise and guided them to a tremendous improvement. It's exciting for Steve, and the entire Steel organization, to be chosen for this honor."
The Steel finished the regular season with a 32-22-6 record, its second-best record since arriving in Chicago in 2000.
Year after year, it seems like there is one team that is consistently at the top of the heap in the USHL, the Omaha Lancers. The franchise, known partially for the dubious distinction of being the only team in the history of the USHL to go an entire season without a win, is also known as one of the premier franchises in junior hockey in North America, as 12 former players in the NHL this year alone will attest. That is due in large part to Mike Hastings, who consistently builds a winner in Omaha. Hastings, in his 14th season with the Lancers, is the 2007-08 winner of the JLG Architects General Manager of the Year Award, an honor he also took home last season.
"What can you say about the job that Mike does in Omaha? He is extremely good at what he does, and the demands that he places on himself and his athletes shows up in the standings," Gasparini said. "You don't make the playoffs every single year by accident. Mike is dedicated to his program and it shows. He consistently builds a great team to put on the ice and you can't argue against his record. He's one of the best we've ever had."
Hastings guided the Lancers to the Anderson Cup title in 2007-08, with a record of 43-12-5.
Six years ago, a group led by Jim Kronschnabel purchased the Sioux City Musketeers, a team that was an afterthought in its own market and playing in a facility that had been outgrown by the USHL. Since the change in ownership, the Musketeers have moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility, watched their season ticket and sponsorship revenue skyrocket and become one of the more dynamic franchises in the league. Behind it all is Kronschnabel, the team's president and the 2008 Leonard, Street and Deinard Executive of the Year. Kronschnabel has managed to keep the Musketeers pressing forward and improving their market status, all the while performing double duty as the chairman of the USHL Board of Governors.
"Jim has come in and, together with his ownership group and his general manager, really stabilized the team and the market. He's one of the reasons that the USHL is where it is today," said Gasparini. "From the construction of the new building to the work he's done as chairman of the board, Jim has demonstrated that he understands the mission of our league and is at the forefront in doing what is right for the USHL and for the sport of hockey."
Kronschnabel was also the driving force behind the USHL Fall Classic, the league's pre-season tournament. Together with his staff in Sioux City, Kronschnabel has taken the event to a new level, one that will be difficult to duplicate in years to come.
"Last September, I heard from a great many scouts, both at the college and NHL levels, what a tremendous job Jim and the Musketeers did with that event. It raised the bar in how we do things in the USHL with regard to our biggest talent showcase," Gasparini said.
It isn't just about wins and losses that makes a team the organization of the year. Many other factors come into play. Promotional nights, charitable donations, game attendance and community service are all factors that go into receiving the honor of Highwood Rings Organization of the Year. Since entering the league four seasons ago, few have done it better then the Indiana Ice.
"When you look at the track record that the Ice have since joining the USHL, you really have to tip your hat to the people in the front office, especially Paul Skjodt and Mike Schupay," said Gasparini. "Mike is the person that makes it go on an everyday basis, and Paul is the one willing to write the checks and give them the resources to succeed. They've done a great job integrating themselves into the sports scene in Indianapolis."
The Ice are the facilitators of the annual "Pack the House Night," which raises nearly $25,000 every year for local charities. In addition, the Ice customarily run a variety of promotions and functions at their games, which contributes to the attendance totals that have had the Ice ranked in the league's top two every year of their existence.
CCM All-USHL First Team
Center Trophy USHL All-Rookie Team
