At last month's Annual General Meeting, the MMHA Board of
Directors was pleased to present its Eric Ellison Memorial Coach of the Year
Awards for Rep and House League, and its President’s Award to deserving
individuals from our association who have gone above and beyond in their
roles.
The Eric Ellison Memorial House League Coach of the Year
Award was presented to Vince Enright. Vince
was a first-year coach with
our U13 age group, Vince took on the role wholeheartedly, dealing with
balancing, no dedicated team goalie and our first year joining Halton Hills in
a loop. Vince’s communications to team
and to office was consistently positive, informative and upbeat. He gladly took
on a younger goalie and helped develop her through the season. He provided his
team with experiences not many houseleague teams have by taking them to two
tourneys through the year, the Wayne Gretzky tourney in January along with the
BLOMHA 50th Annual March Break tourney. From parent surveys,
respondents were unanimously positive in their praise for Vince
with regards to communication, hockey knowledge and development, use of ice
time, planning skills, organization, fair play, positivity and most importantly
that his players had fun, learned and wanted to return. Congratulations Vince!
This year’s Eric Ellison Memorial Rep Coach of the Year is Ryan
Shepherd, U14 A Coach. Coach Ryan has been an exemplary figure in the MMHA,
leading the U14A team with dedication, skill, and an unwavering commitment to
the development of his players. Coach Ryan’s philosophy centers on the
development of each player's skills, both on and off the ice. He emphasizes the
importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and personal growth, ensuring that every
player feels valued and supported. : Under Coach Ryan's leadership,
the U14A team has shown improvement. They have achieved significant milestones,
including winning the Tri County Championship. The team had the best overall
season and playoff record of all the teams in MMHA. Coach Ryan has a keen eye
for talent and works tirelessly to develop each player's abilities. His
coaching methods have led to noticeable progress in players' skating, puck
handling, shooting and strategic understanding of the game. Coach Ryan's
passion for hockey, combined with his exceptional coaching skills and
dedication to player development, make him a standout figure in the MMHA. His
ability to inspire, motivate, and lead by example has earned him the
well-deserved title of MMHA Rep Coach of the Year. We look forward to seeing
Coach Ryan continue to make a positive impact on the players and the hockey
community.
At the end of the evening, MMHA President Aaron Fernandes
presented the President’s Award, also known as the Volunteer of the Year award
to Troy Underhill. . Aaron noted that Troy had been an active volunteer
on a team bench since 2013 as either an assistant or head coach. On top of these responsibilities, Troy has sat
on the board in an executive role as Secretary for the last few years. Aaron said he was very grateful for Troy’s
guidance and contribution to the board, teams and association as a whole. Thank
you Troy!