THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Superior International Junior Hockey League announced Monday that Stratton Pickett of the Red Lake Miners has been named its Best Defensive Forward award recipient for the 2018-19 campaign.
The 20-year-old, who hails from Gem, Alta., edged fellow nominees Trey Palermo of the Dryden GM Ice Dogs and Jacob Brown of the Thunder Bay North Stars to garner the accolades in voting completed by each of the SIJHL’s member clubs.
In 51 outings for Red Lake this season, Pickett, an assistant captain with the team, registered a career single-season-high 49 points on 24 tallies and 25 assists while also contributing a solid defensive role for the Miners, while going up against some of the top players in the league.
He also notched three shorthanded goals for the club and aided in Red Lake posting the second-best penalty kill ratio in the SIJHL at 83.9%.
Pickett becomes the first Miners player to achieve this honour.
The following is the list of the SIJHL’s all-time Best Defensive Forward award recipients:
2018-19: Stratton Pickett, Red Lake Miners
2017-18: Mitchell Soderberg, Thief River Falls Norskies
2016-17: Brett Wolframe, Thunder Bay North Stars
2015-16: Dylan Robertson, Fort Frances Lakers
2014-15: Wyatt Cota, Fort Frances Lakers (Co-recipient)
2014-15: Kris Kellaway, Thunder Bay North Stars (Co- recipient)
2013-14: Jonathon Losurdo, Minnesota Iron Rangers
2012-13: Jeremy Johnson, Minnesota Wilderness
2011-12: Sam Dubinsky, Thunder Bay North Stars
2010-11: Blake Boaz, Fort Frances Lakers
2009-10: Ryan Magill, Fort William North Stars
2008-09: Cale Brown, Fort William North Stars (Co- recipient)
2008-09: Mitch Cain, Fort Frances Jr. Sabres (Co- recipient)
2007-08: Travis Jaspers, Fort William North Stars
2006-07: Jason MacMillan, Thunder Bay Bearcats
2005-06: Jordan Chong, Dryden Ice Dogs
2004-05: Matt Tryuba, Dryden Ice Dogs
2003-04: Cory Bruno, Fort William North Stars
2002-03: Tom Grant, Fort William North Stars
2001-02: Josh Baxter, Borderland Thunder (Co- recipient)
2001-02: Tom Grant, Thunder Bay Bulldogs (Co- recipient)
Photo credit: Patrick Boucha