From a crosstown jersey swap to the top of his class.
Okotoks Midget AA Black captain Mitchell Wolfe capped off a rollercoaster senior season by taking home the South Central Alberta Hockey League Top Defenceman Award at the Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association banquet, April 13 at the Foothills Centennial Centre.
“It means a lot actually, I wasn’t really expecting it,” Wolfe said. “That just gives me a boost of confidence to work harder to get to the next level.”
Wolfe, who’s attending spring camps with the Calgary Canucks, Canmore Eagles and Fort McMurray Oil Barons, registered four goals and a team-high 26 assists with Okotoks Black.
He led the AA team to the best league record in the regular season and a silver medal finish at the North Division playoff tournament. Wolfe was a major lynchpin on a blueline which allowed the second lowest goals against in the North.
Not bad considering he essentially joined a brand new team. With the introduction of two Okotoks AA teams, the fleet-footed rearguard was drafted to the Okotoks Black roster.
“It was a bit of a change at first, but right away I got to know the guys,” he said. “It was actually a really great year. Everyone got along well and we bonded great as a team.”
Wolfe also took home team MVP honours among a group of several solid contributors as 10 Oilers cracked the top-20 plateau and goaltenders Pierre Wiederhold and Cody Grobowsky were near the top of the league in wins and shutouts, respectively.
“There are a couple players that should have got it (the MVP) as well,” he said. “I’m just glad that I got it.”
It was a season of expansion for the association.
The OOAA doubled to two Midget AA squads for the 2015-16 season with both clubs finishing in the top-two in their respective divisions. Every team in the association finished with a better than .500 record and advanced through to the playoff round.
“One of our visions is to get as many players playing high level hockey as they can,” said association president John Wilson. “Both of our Midget AA teams had great years.”
Okotoks Midget Green finished second in the South Division in what was a season of peaks and valleys for the AA club.
Wyatt Derksen was top-scorer and MVP in recognition of a team-leading 22 goals and 39 points while defenceman Michael Lang took home most improved and hard-nosed forward Tyler Coffey earned the Oiler Award.
In the Minor-Midget ranks, the Rockyview Raiders took stock of an excellent campaign.
The third seed in the South Division, Rockyview’s well-rounded roster was reflected in its awards. Millarville’s Zach Huber was top scorer with a 43-goal campaign with Okotoks’ Nathan Bailer earning most improved honours and Aldersyde’s Tyson Terretta named top defenceman.
The Rocky Mountain Raiders capped another historic season for the franchise with both team and league awards by the bushel.
Peyton Krebs added to his ever-growing mantelpiece with the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League South MVP, top forward and top scorer honours after a 102-point year.
Teammate Kyle Crnkovic was the South rookie of the year as well as the team’s Oiler Award recipient. Okotoks’ Travis Thorhaug won the Craig Kletzel Award for his on and off the ice perseverance.
In the Bantam AA ranks, team captain Daniel Lindeman was the big winner for the Oilers as the Okotokian was voted MVP and top defenceman.
No team in the association enjoyed more success than the Rocky Mountain Female Midget AAA Raiders this season, reflected by the fact the club is still playing.
The Raiders, in Weyburn, Sask., this week at the Esso Cup National Championships, awarded Okotoks’ Cassidy Trotter as top defenceman while third-year forward Nicolette Seper picked up both league and team MVP honours.
Their counterparts in the Bantam ranks also tasted considerable success in 2015-16.
The Rocky Mountain Bantam AAA Female Raiders won provincial silver for the second season in a row with a number of Foothills skaters logging heavy minutes for the club.
DeWinton’s Rachel Weiss took home the Oiler Award while Okotoks’ Kassy Betinol, top scorer, and Teghan Inglis, top defenceman, also picked up some hardware.
Both of Okotoks’ Peewee AA programs started the evening off with its award recognitions.
Kai Uchacz was the big winner for AA Black as the hulking forward won top scorer and MVP status after a 49-goal, 73 point season.
Okotoks captain Connor Poffenroth repeated the feat by picking up both awards for the Peewee AA Green squad.
Peewee AA Black
Top Scorer/MVP — Kai Uchacz
Most Improved — Osten Barnhart
Oiler Award — Colby Smith
Top Defenceman —Dru Krebs
Peewee AA Green
Top Scorer/MVP — Connor Poffenroth
Most Improved — Tegan Neuman
Oiler Award — Easton Inglis
Top Defenceman — Jace Whaley
Bantam AA
Top Scorer — Ivan Chtchadov
Most Improved – Cabe Blindkilde
Oiler Award — Sam Simard
Top Defenceman/MVP — Daniel Lindeman
Bantam AAA Female
Top Scorer — Kassy Betinol
Most Improved — Jessica Martens
Oiler Award — Rachel Weiss
Top Defenceman — Teghan Inglis
MVP — Bree Kennedy
Bantam AAA
Top Scorer/MVP — Peyton Krebs
Hardest Working — Ryan Conroy
Oiler Award — Kyle Crnkovic
Top Defenceman — Ryan Conroy
M-15 Raiders
Top Scorer — Zach Huber
Most Improved — Nathan Bailer
Oiler Award — Tucker Zdunich
Top Defenceman — Tyson Terretta
MVP — Joel Krahenbil
Markus Lavallee Award — Tyson Terretta/Tucker Zdunich
Midget AA Green
Top Scorer/MVP — Wyatt Derksen
Most Improved — Michael Lang
Oiler Award — Tyler Coffey
Top Defenceman — Jace Westin
Midget AA Black
Top Scorer — Ty Budai
Most Improved — Kale Hawryluk
Oiler Award — Jackson Froc
Top Defenceman — Coby Proctor
MVP — Mitchell Wolfe
Midget AAA Female
Top Scorer/MVP — Nicolette Seper
Most Improved — Ashley Sutherland
Oiler Award — Hanna Matchett
Top Defenceman — Cassidy Trotter
Volunteers of the Year
Bantam Westerns committee (Travis Thiessen, Deanna Thiessen, Greg Krebs, Cindy Krebs, Greg Bodnarchuk, Colleen Young, Carol Nerland, Marilyn McLean, Keith Hurd and Remy Greer)
Ralph Brown Volunteer Award — Matthew Potts