Thunder Bay, ON. – Hockey Northwestern Ontario honoured our volunteers from across the branch during the awards luncheon, held as part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Valhalla Inn.
The 2017 T.B. (Bones) McCormack Meritorious Awards went to Joe Kompon of Thunder Bay, ON. Joe has been involved in the game for over fifty years as a player, coach, and administrator. His involvement started in minor hockey as a player which led to junior hockey and eventually to a hockey scholarship at the University of North Dakota. Joe started coaching minor hockey in 1985 and spent twenty years coaching. However, his biggest impression has been left in the board room as an executive member. Joe has sat on the minor hockey executives of Westfort, KC, Thunder Bay Kings, Lakehead South and Lakehead Minor. He has held the President role with Lakehead Minor for twenty years. He also sat on Hockey Northwestern Ontario’s board of directors for ten years ending his tenure in 2016.
The other award winners are as follows:
Most Deserving Official Award
David Wadson (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Most Promising Official Award
Zac Mahoney (Nipigon, Ont.)
Most Improved Official Award
Matthew Spence (Fort Frances, Ont.)
Coach of the Year Award
Shelden McDonald – (Kenora, Ont.)
Volunteer of the Year Awards
Mike Salatino – (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Joe Rizzuto – (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
HNO Years of Service Award
Joe Kompon – (Thunder Bay, Ont.) – 10 years
Wayne Salatino – (Thunder Bay, Ont.)- 17 years
Arnold Southern Memorial Bursary
Calum Blackwood – (Terrace Bay, Ont.)
Brendon Bukovy – (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Jayden Wojciechowski – (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Jim Stirling Memorial Bursary
Chris Gomes- (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Nominations for all awards were submitted by Hockey Northwestern Ontario’s member associations. The success of minor hockey associations in Northwestern Ontario depends heavily on volunteers and Hockey Northwestern Ontario is pleased to recognize the individuals who contribute greatly to the game of hockey across the country.
2016-17 HNO Champions
Junior A- Dryden Ice Dogs
Junior B- Nipigon Elks
Midget AAA – Thunder Bay Kings
Bantam AAA- Thunder Bay Kings
Peewee AAA- Thunder Bay Kings
Midget AA- Fort William Hurricanes
Bantam AA- Fort Frances Canadians
Peewee AA- Fort Frances Canadians
Atom AA- West End Bruins
2018 Championship Locations
The host for the 2018 AA Tournament of Champions will be the Thunder Bay Kings, the fifth annual championship will take place March 8th-11th, 2018 in Thunder Bay. The Peewee and Bantam AAA championship will also be hosted by the Kings the weekend of March 16th-18th. New for 2018 the Midget AAA championship will be a best of five series with the first two games played in Thunder Bay March 17th and 18th, games three, four and five if necessary will be played in Kenora the weekend of March 23rd to 25th.
2018 will also see three regional championship played within Hockey Northwestern Ontario with the Thunder Bay Kings hosting the TELUS Cup West Regional April 5th-8th at the Fort William First Nation Arena, both the Kings and Thistles will be competing in the regional. The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks will host the 2018 Keystone Cup Western Canadian Junior B Championship April 19th-22nd at the Tournament Centre, the Lakehead Junior League champion will join the Hawks in the championships or the runner up if the Hawks win the League. The Dryden Ice Dogs will host the Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canada Junior A Championship May 1st-5th, the Superior International Junior Hockey League champion will also compete in the event, if the Ice Dogs win the Bill Salonen Cup the runner up would also take part in the Dudley Hewitt Cup.
