Brock Nixon of the Russell Rams has been named the North Central Hockey League’s most valuable player, rookie of the year and most gentlemanly player in a vote of representatives of the league’s nine teams.
Nixon shared the most gentlemanly award with Curtis Oliver of the Miniota-Elkhorn C-Hawks after the pair both received the same number of votes.
Nixon played five years in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Kamloops Blazer and Calgary Hitmen. After five years of studying and playing hockey at the University of Calgary, Nixon played professionally for three years with the Colorado Eagles of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), and then finished his career playing three years in Europe.
Brad Cole of the Miniota-Elkhorn C-Hawks was named the league’s top defenceman. Cole played four years in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Kootenay Ice and Saskatoon Blades. He then played 11 years of professional hockey in the ECHL, American Hockey League and Europe.
The league scoring and goaltending awards will be announced at the end of the regular season.
Nixon and Cole are 1st team all-stars. They join goaltender Deven Dubyk of the Swan Valley Axemen, defenceman Dillin Stonehouse of Miniota-Elkhorn, winger Derek Leblanc of the Virden Oil Capitals and centre Derek Falloon of Russell.
The second team consists of netminder Jerrod Auger of Russell, defencemen Kaine Morran of the Grandview Comets and Jordan Thomson of Russell, wingers Rylee Zimmer of Russell and Tanner Lewis of Virden, and centre Drake Bodie of Virden.
The 3rd team has an entire line from Miniota-Elkhorn – centre Brad Bowles and wingers Dustin Fisher and Shawn Bowles. Andy Chipelski of the Foxwarren Falcosn and Colin Paull of Virden anchor the defence, while the goaltender is Kyler Beckett of the Moosomin Rangers.
