My EIHL award winners

At the time of writing, no individual Elite League awards have been given out other than the 12 all star team spots, which had 2 Panthers included for the first time since 2012/13. Once again, there's been heaps of quality across every team, and I'd like to give my take on who deserves recognition for the best forward, defencemen, netminder, coach and British player if/when these awards are announced. As my predicted all star teams were quite different from the ones revealed last week, I'll also throw them in at the end. 

Coach of the year: Danny Stewart, Coventry Blaze 

If you'd told me at the start of the season that I'd be giving Danny Stewart this award without hesitation, then I'd have laughed, very hard. The Coventry boss wasn't exactly highly rated before this season started, but by the end of the season, the Blaze were borderline unbeatable and were considered by many to be title contenders. 

Stewart got his troops playing outstanding hockey at both ends of the ice. Defensively, the Blaze were well organised with their slot area becoming a fortress. Pouncing on rebounds was incredibly hard, which was a massive help in CJ Motte having the best stats of any goalie in the league. Going forward, the Blaze were clinical, and were the 2nd highest scoring team in the league with 180 goals, largely thanks to players such as Janne Lakonen, Charles Corcorane and of course, the top goalscorer in the league, Luke Ferarra. 

Stewart was able to bring the best out of his players across the entire roster, particularly Ferrara, who he helped to completely transform into one of the best offensive threats in the league. 

Other possible winners: Andrew Lord (Cardiff Devils), Aaron Fox (Sheffield Steelers), Tim Wallace (Nottingham Panthers) 

Goaltender of the year: Matt Ginn, Manchester Storm

When you're one of the favourites to finish bottom of the league, talent between the pipes becomes even more important. Matt Ginn carried the Manchester Storm many a time this season, regularly facing 30+ shots and rising to the challenge. Despite the immense pressure he was under, it didn't phase him, proved by his 92.11 save percentage, coming 2nd only to CJ Motte. 

Despite not having size on his side, Ginn has an excellent positional game to make up for it, knowing when to come out aggressively and when to retreat. His reflexes are incredibly quick and his rebound control has been essential in preventing a lot more grade A chances for the opposition. I'm fully expecting a move to a bigger club for the American this off season. 

Other possible winners: CJ Motte (Coventry Blaze), Kevin Carr (Nottingham Panthers), Shane Owen (Belfast Giants) 

Defenceman of the year: Sam Jardine, Cardiff Devils

I genuinely can't get my head around why Sam Jardine doesn't get the praise that the likes of Mark Matheson and Marek Troncinsky do week in,week out. He didn't even get into any of the all star teams! The Canadian d-man has been instrumental to Cardiff's success this season, that saw them close in on an Elite League title before the season was cancelled, and yet another Challenge Cup final. 

Jardine is positionally solid and brings strength to the Cardiff blue line, whether that's in terms of winning the puck back or protecting it. What solidified my decision to choose him was his +/- of 24, which is the best on the Devils roster by quite a margin, with Mark Richardson closest to him despite being 10 behind on 14. 

Other possible winners: Mark Matheson (Nottingham Panthers), Marek Troncinsky (Sheffield Steelers), Gleason Fournier (Cardiff Devils) 

Forward of the year: Sam Herr, Nottingham Panthers

 I mean, who else was I going to pick? The 27 year old American was a hit in Nottingham right from the start, and has easily been the clubs best player in many years. He came in with an impressive CV, having played in the AHL for just over 3 seasons but had played as a more defensive forward for the Ontario Reign. The drop down to the EIHL allowed him to unleash his offensive capabilities to the ultimate extreme, finishing the campaign as not just the top scorer at the Panthers, but in the entire league! His 59 points (30+29) mean he is the first Panther to top the British top flights point scoring charts since David Ling in 2012/13.  

 A captain who led by example, Herr was lethal in all aspects of his game. He constantly got into dangerous scoring areas, whether that be by joining the rush or setting up in the offensive zone and had fantastic vision. Off the puck, he forechecked effectively as well, meaning he was able to force momentum changes. 

Other possible winners: Brendan Connolly (Sheffield Steelers), Joey Haddad (Cardiff Devils), Luke Ferrara (Coventry Blaze)

British player of the year: Luke Ferrara, Coventry Blaze

Pretty easy. Luke Ferrara is the first ever British forward to finish as the EIHL's top goalscorer, with 36 in all competitions. He was the biggest factor in Coventry's brilliant attack, who's reading of the game meant he was always in the right places to put his clinical scoring touch to use. I'd go as far as saying this is one of the best breakout seasons the EIHL has ever seen, and whether he'll look for a move to a bigger club is a huge question this offseason. 

There aren't many Brits who can be considered to be import standard, but the 26 year old unquestionably fits into this category, making him a valuable asset, even more so with the import limit dropping for 2020/21. 

Other possible winners: Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), David Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Ross Venus (Coventry Blaze) 

Player of the year: Sam Herr (Nottingham Panthers)

What separates Sam Herr from every other player in the league is his ability to win games by himself. Regardless of how the Panthers were performing, which was very poorly in the early stages of the season, Herr bought his A game every night and would very often start a fightback when they were behind, or initiate an all out domination. He's everything you want in a captain, and for that reason is undeniably the best player in the EIHL. 

Look at Boxing day for example, when he sent shockwaves through the hockey world with an unbelievable 4 goals in just under 10 minutes to complete a comeback against Coventry,  the 2 late goals including a last second winner against Cracovia in the Continental cup. He came up clutch when we needed him most. 

Other possible winners: Brendan Connelly (Sheffield Steelers), Joey Haddad (Cardiff Devils), Sam Jardine (Cardiff Devils) 

All-star 1st team

Goaltender: Matt Ginn, Manchester Storm 

Defenceman: Sam Jardine, Cardiff Devils

Defeceman: Mark Matheson, Nottingham Panthers

Left wing: Sam Herr, Nottingham Panthers

Centre: Brendan Connolly, Sheffield Steelers

Right wing: Luke Ferrara, Coventry Blaze

All-star 2nd team

Goaltender: CJ Motte, Coventry Blaze 

Defenceman: Marek Troncinsky, Sheffield Steelers 

Defenceman: Gleason Fournier, Cardiff Devils

Left wing: Joey Haddad, Cardiff Devils

Centre: Charles Cocorane, Coventry Blaze

Right Wing: Marc-Oliver Vallerand, Sheffield Steelers 

Honourable mentions all-star team

Goaltender: Kevin Carr, Nottingham Panthers

Defenceman: Drydon Dow, Dundee Stars

Defenceman: Kevin Raine, Belfast Giants

Left wing: Janne Laakonen, Coventry Blaze

Centre: Jared Aulin, Manchester Storm

Right wing: Anthony DeLuca, Sheffield Steelers 

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