While the Red Deer College hockey team was eliminated in the semifinals, a few Kings won’t go home empty-handed this year.
Trevor Keeper, Kings coach, was named Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Hockey Coach of the Year and two players, Tanner Butler and Tyler Berkholtz, were named to the Men’s Hockey First All-Conference Team.
Award winners were announced Friday at the opening game of the ACAC Men’s Hockey finals between the MacEwan University Griffins and the NAIT Ooks.
Keeper, who has been Kings coach since the 2013-14 season, led the Kings to a third-place finish this year with a 19-7-2-0 record.
The Kings had the second best penalty kill and their goals for and against were third in the eight-team league.
“It’s a nice gesture and it’s a reflection of what we’ve done to build our program over the past five years,” Keeper said. “It’s a huge acknowledgement of my coaching staff too.”
Butler, Kings captain and fourth-year student, scored 12 goals and 21 assists this season. The defenceman from Souris, Man. scored six of his goals on the powerplay.
Keeper said he thinks Butler is the best two-way defenceman in the league.
“He led the D-men in scoring and finished fourth in league scoring. He is so good defensively, penalty killing and one-one-one,” said Keeper. “I think he is the ACAC version of a Nick Lidstrom type of defenceman. He is a quiet leader but he says the right things and is very respected in the dressing room.”
Berkholtz, a fifth-year student, was second in league scoring with 16 goals and 22 assists. The Kings assistant captain from Penticton, B.C. had five powerplay goals and two game-winners.
“Tyler has gotten better every year over the four years that he has been here,” Keeper said. “He is a competitor, never quits and always wants to win. He’s a mature player and he was a great leader for us.”
Keeper said both players were instrumental in the team’s success this season.
“I’m really proud of them,” he said. “They’re great leaders … and they’re a part of our culture. They took the young guys under their wing and work hard every day.”
The Kings were eliminated by the Griffins last Saturday.
This season the Kings had 17 returning platers and next year they could have 21.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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