An exit interview paved the way for a new MVP to enter the chat for the Bisons.
“I had a talk with (head coach Brad) Cobb after last season saying that I wanted a bigger role,” said Carstar Okotoks Bisons forward Scott Brown, who took home the MVP nod at the team's 2023-24 Awards Banquet. “He trusted me and he gave me the ice time and I got all of the chances I could get and I took advantage of it.”
Brown, one of four graduating players along with Daniel Tainton, Brayden Kapty and Lucas Watkins, led the team with 22 goals and added 36 points, both career highs for the hard-hitting Okotokian.
The Bisons won the Heritage Junior Hockey League championship in all three of his seasons with the team, adding a provincial medal of every colour during that run.
“It’s awesome,” Brown said. “Being here for three years and putting all that work in and it’s finally paid off, not just the award, but the championships and everything.”
The 2002-born winger formed a strong trio with Easton Dean and Jake Snashall that stuck together for most of the season.
“It was so easy playing with them,” he said. “Just our chemistry as soon as we started playing together clicked. I’m kind of the dirty, get the puck in the corner kind of guy, get the puck to Snash and Deano and he would put it in the net.
“That happened a lot this year and just in the room it was so easy to get along with those two.”
During the banquet, trainer Dr. Cale Granson quipped that not every player is going to receive an award and the most important award was handed out at provincials.
In the end, 13 players earned silverware from another record-setting season.
Owen McFarlane took home three awards: Most Sportsmanlike, Most Dedicated Player and Hardest Working Bison.
The latter, voted on by his peers, meant the most to the hard-nosed winger.
“From when I started playing hockey my dad has always been on me about hard work,” McFarlane said. “That’s all you can control is your work ethic and I feel like I should just leave it all on the ice as much as I can and help my team.”
McFarlane joined his hometown team early in the season after contemplating going back to B.C. to play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
“I felt like I should stay and be a part of the Bisons,” he said. “Pretty much from day one it was instilled that we were a winning team, the way we dominated every game it just felt like we had a chance to win.”
Fleet-footed blueliner Caden Scott was a four-award recipient.
Scott, a second-year Bison, took home the Top Defenceman, Plus/Minus Award, Mosby Scholarship Award and Academic Achievement nod.
https://twitter.com/OkotoksBisons/status/1781812013557047533
Tainton closed out his Bisons chapter with a playoff performance to remember, notching a league best nine goals to earn the Postseason MVP honour.
“It was my last year so I kind of had to leave it all out on the line,” Tainton said. “You’re just coming to play every game, you’re doing it for the guys, they were here last year as well and they’re all my buddies and had to go out there and do it all for them.”
Heading into the 2024-25 campaign with a mix of returning and new talent, Tainton said he hopes the winning tradition for the 14-time league champions will only continue.
“Winning three in a row is a pretty big deal, especially winning provincials this year,” Tainton said. “For the younger guys, they got an understanding of what it takes to win and I hope they can carry it on until the next guys come and hopefully that keeps on going.”
Award Winners
Volunteer of the Year — Trent Dean, Bob Greig
Most Sportsmanlike — Owen McFarlane, Seamus Garagan
Rookie of the Year — Jady Shigehiro
Most Improved Player — Hunter Cobb
Heart, Pride, Sacrifice — Ethan MacIntyre
Mosby Scholarship Award — Trevor Bonham, Caden Scott
Academic Achievement Award — Caden Scott
Scoring Award — Easton Dean
Plus/Minus Award — Caden Scott
Perseverance (No Guts/No Glory) Award — Connor Claughton
Leadership Award — Jake Snashall
Most Dedicated Player — Owen McFarlane
Top Defensive Player — Lucas Watkins, Brayden Kapty
Top Defenceman — Caden Scott
Postseason MVP — Daniel Tainton
MVP — Scott Brown
