This week the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) is announcing 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 the newly added General Manager of the Year.
Today the KIJHL is pleased to announce Cash Anderson of the Quesnel River Rush as the Most Sportsmanlike Player.
“If you look at his minutes played, his points and then his penalty minutes, it’s pretty minimal,” said River Rush head coach-general manager Logan Maxwell, on why Anderson deserved the award.
The 20-year-old not only led the River Rush in points, with 24 goals and 31 assists, he did so playing a disciplined style – spending 14 minutes in the penalty box. The Armstrong native played an average of 21:33 a game and had a +21 rating. Nearly half of Anderson’s offence came on the power-play with 20 points, including 10 goals. He also scored once short-handed. In his three KIJHL regular seasons, Anderson accumulated 36 penalty minutes.
“For the amount of time he is on the ice, he’s not really doing any infractions. He plays the game the right way. He plays a full 200-foot game and he respects his opponents.”
Maxwell added that Anderson’s speed enables him to play and not take many penalties. He was also a leader on and off-the-ice and brought pace to practice and games.
