Staff
Wayne Strachan will match wits tonight with the man deemed to be the top bench boss in the SIJHL this season.
The league announced yesterday that coach-of-the-year honours went to Jeremy Adduono of the Thunder Bay North Stars.
Kurt Walsten (Dryden GM Ice Dogs) was the other finalist for the award.
Adduono’s team was riddled by injuries for much of the season but they still managed to finish in fourth place with a 27-25-4 record.
Strachan, meanwhile, was looking to add a record-setting fifth coach-of-the-year award after winning the honour last season.
Instead, he remains tied with former North Stars’ head coach Todd Howarth for the most wins in the category (four).
The Lakers, who repeated as regular-season champs with a 43-11-1-1 mark, open their best-of-seven semi-final showdown with the North Stars tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Game 2 goes here tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
The series then shifts to Thunder Bay for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Dryden’s Cole Golka was chosen the Amyotte’s Awards & Promotions most valuable player.
Golka was picked ahead of the Lakers’ Lucas DeBenedet and Jason Reynolds of Minnesota after leading the league in goals (47) and points (89).
Noah Anderson (Minnesota Iron Rangers) captured the Gongshow Gear best defenceman award for this season.
Anderson led the SIJHL in blueline scoring with 54 points in 55 games.
The other nominees for the award were Tim Cavar (Thunder Bay) and Troy Williams (Dryden).
The Rangers and Ice Dogs begin their best-of-seven semi-final tonight in Hoyt Lakes.
