The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is pleased to announce its award winners this week 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 the newly added General Manager of the Year.
Today the league is pleased to announce Eric Martin of the Fernie Ghostriders as the Top Defenceman.
“It’s a huge accomplishment for him,” said Ghostriders head coach-general manager Chad Scharff. “If you watch him from outside as a fan, it probably looks like he’s not working that hard in all honesty (he laughs). However, when you get to know Eric and how he plays the game, he does everything to conserve energy and buys himself the ability to play 25-plus minutes a night. He is so smart, his hockey IQ is through the roof. I look at him similar to Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman) – where he will wow you offensively, and defensively he’s just as hard to play against. You just don’t notice him on the defensive side as much because he’s able to use his feet and stick to check and he doesn’t over complicate things.”
The Edmonton native dominated from the blueline, setting a new Ghostriders franchise record for points in a season by a defenceman with 59 in 43 games. He led all KIJHL blueliners in points and showcased his offensive abilities with 11 goals and 48 assists. His assists were second in the KIJHL. He’s the Ghostriders leader on defence and played a lot – averaging 25:46 of ice time per game. His vision and playmaking abilities were highlighted by 25 primary assists. On the power play, Martin was clutch, ranking fifth in both assists (14) and points (17). His +27 rating puts a spotlight on his two-way excellence.
