PORT McNEILL—North Island Secondary School student Thomas Symons was honoured last week with the Player of the Year trophy during the annual Port McNeill Minor Hockey Association annual general meeting and awards night.
But it took more than a few goals and assists to earn the recognition.
Symons, a Grade 10 student eligible as a bantam, skated for the midget team along with several other second-year bantams. But he also served as a referee for the year, and helped coach the club’s initiation-level peanut skaters, and those contributions were cited by association president Scott Mitchell as he presented the trophy.
The night featured individual awards — medallions sponsored by Esso and a trophy for the Most Sportsmanlike Player — for each of PMMHA’s six age-group teams. There were also several major annual awards presented. In addition to Symons’ selection as Player of the Year, peanut coach Sonya Strang was recognized as Coach of the Year; Marilyn May earned a plaque and a year’s registration from Pat Horgan and Shirley Ackland as winner of the Tristan Jones Memorial Award; Trent Beek — like Symons a player, ref and coach — was awarded the Margaret Muzik Memorial Sportsmanship Award; and Conrad Browne, who found time to officiate games around his duties as head coach of the North Island Eagles peewees, was named Referee of the Year.
The meeting also featured elections for the 2013-14 association executive, and a veteran group will be returning. Mitchell, vice-president Glenn Moore, secretary Carolyn Shade, treasurer Kevin Laird, registrar Heather Mohan, head referee John Bramham and director Tammi Beek all return. In addition, Dwayne Murray returns in the dual roles of head coach and equipment manager.
Newcomers to the executive include Laura McGraw as ice coordinator and Dennis Foster as director, though the PMMHA is still seeking a tournament coordinator or, preferably, two people who can share the tournament director duties.
The association also announced it will continue the practice, now in its third year, of providing a $50 rebate toward one of Port McNeill’s summer hockey camps to any player who registers by June 1 for next season. Port McNeill native Clayton Stoner will appear with the Clayton Stoner Hockey Clinic for the third year July 2-5, and Lou Lemire brings his highly regarded Hockey Skills Camp for the sixth time the following week.
Note: Port Hardy Minor Hockey awards were hosted Tuesday after the Gazette went to press. Results will appear next week.