The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dundee Stars reveal end of season award winners
ICE HOCKEY: Tayside club reveal picks on social media
Dundee Stars revealed the winners of their end of season awards after the Covid-19 pandemic cut the campaign short and cancelled their annual event.
The first Stars’ player of the year award to be unveiled on social media was the winner of the community award.
Forwards Craig Garrigan, Brett Stovin and Kevin Dufour were nominated, along with defender Reilly O’connor but the trophy was shared as two players were deemed to have excelled in work with the local community.
Stovin and O’connor were the joint winners after they showed dedication and commitment to the team and its values.
Praising the pair’s hard work, Stars head coach and general manager Omar Pacha said: “In my time as a coach and as a general manager, I struggled to find other guys that were more committed to the team concept than those two guys.
“They were great role models and ambassadors for the team and when I speak about growing the culture and the club, obviously we had great guys who are still with us from last year like Matt (Marquardt), Shawn (Boutin) and Drydn (Dow), but those two jumped on board from day one and they were two key assets to the team.
“I was really happy to be naming them as the co-winners. Obviously we usually only pick one but it was so hard to determine out of those two. ”
Both players made an acceptance speech video for social media and O’connor said: “The community programme was a lot of fun to be a part of. It allowed me to share my passion for the game with the Dundee community and I hope I inspired some people.”
Stovin added: “It was a great year and a lot of fun getting to meet all of you in the local community, I tried to connect with as many of you as possible.”
Next came the turn of the club’s official television channel, Stars TV, to name their player of the year from four nominees, with goaltender Alex Leclerc seeing off defenceman Dow and forwards Anthony Beauregard and Dufour.
The Canadian netminder made 56 starts in his debut season, stopping 1,773 shots and an 89.91 save percentage.
Stars TV used a point-based system and gave the reason for their choice as: “… the high standard he set throughout the season and because he has shown consistency and dedication from the day he arrived in Dundee.”
Pacha next announced Dow as the man he and his coaching staff had chosen as the coach’s player of the year.
The 27-year-old returned in September for a second year on Tayside.
The Stars boss said: “As a human being there is nobody better than Drydn.
“He is a team player, a guy that wants to win and a guy that wears the Dundee Stars proudly on his chest.
“He came here two years ago with a great mindset and came back this year and was involved in our university programme.
“I thought Drydn was also our most consistent player from day one, he logged so many minutes, he played in all situations and he always worked his hardest and is a guy that would continue to compete even if he was sick or unwell.
“He is a special player and has a special place here with the Stars.”
Dow said: “It is an amazing honour winning the award and it means a lot.
“We had an amazing group of guys and anyone could have won these awards, (because) everyone contributed in their own ways and it was a great team to be a part of.”
The next award was for most improved player with British trio Kris Inglis, Duncan Speirs and Garrigan put forward along with Canadian forward Colton Kroeker.
Garrigan got the nod and Pacha said: “I love how much progression my Brits have made and, with Craig, I think everybody has seen his progression.
“He got a lot more ice time and was a key member of our squad. He has a bright future here and I think he is a guy that will only continue to get better.
“He has that determination, he has that work ethic and there is still obviously a lot to improve with his game but he is on the right path and hopefully he will be a great asset to this team moving forward.”
The Tom Wilson Memorial Award, for the person or group who have made significant contributions to the club, went to the Stars TV team for all the hard work they put into producing what it is regarded as one of the best live webcasts of matches in the Elite League and for the other content they produce.
Pacha said: “Everything I have in place and I have planned, a lot of it comes from the media side of the club, for videos and such, and they are the guys that I lean on so much.
“I am so proud to give them this award because there is no one else that deserves it more than them.
“There is nobody that puts in more hours and without them, three-quarters of my plans would not work.
“So, they are probably some of the most important people at this club and we are very, very lucky to have them.”