This week the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) will announce its Overall Award winners for on-ice excellence: Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player, Coach of the Year and General Manager of the Year.
Today the KIJHL is pleased to announce that Declan Pocock of the Williams Lake Mustangs has been named the Top Defenceman.
The hometown product was third on the Mustangs with 52 points (16G, 36A) in 44 games and played an average of 24:40 a game. The offensive blueliner also had a +40 rating.
“Declan is a very special player. He has a very high skill set for everything,” said Mustangs head coach-general manager Tyrel Lucas. “He is a very dynamic skater and uses his skating to generate a lot of offence for the team.”
Pocock was second among all KIJHL defencemen in points and was tied for the lead in goals (16). He averaged 1.18 points-per-game, which was second among active blueliners. He was counted on to play special teams for the Mustangs, eating up 198:23 on the power-play – producing 26 points – 50 per cent of his offence. He was a big factor in their power-play ranking fifth in the league. He also played 116:14 on the penalty-kill, which was ninth best. Pocock led all KIJHL defencemen with four game-winning goals.
“Not only is he very talented offensively, he really took a lot of pride in playing defence and shutting down our opponents.”
He was chosen for the KIJHL’s Team of the Week four times and named the Top Defenceman for the Stars of December.
