Huskies goalie, defencemen win NWJHL awards

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL) president Peter Burletoff presented two Fort St. John Huskies players with league awards on March 1st before kicking off their playoff series against the North Peace Navigators. 

For the second year in a row, Brandon Modde received the 2023-2024 NWJHL League Award for top defencemen. 

According to Huskies head coach Todd Alexander, this is a remarkable achievement as Modde was off the bench with an injury for 25 per cent of the season. 

“[Modde] has proved himself to be a pretty impactful player over the last few years for our group,” said Alexander. 

“He maintained a high pace, not only in points — but he’s also an excellent, underrated defender for us, and reliable in all situations. We’re definitely very happy and proud of him that he was able to accomplish that with the shortened season for himself.” 

Huskies goalie Daniel Sturgeon received the league award for top goaltender.

Alexander says Sturgeon has “come a long way” and attributes his achievement to Sturgeon’s hard work and his time spent with goaltender coach Travis McLean. 

“[McLean] has [worked with] five or six different goaltenders that have won the award,” said Alexander. 

“They’re a large testament to McLean and what he does with our goaltenders year in and year out, so he deserves a shoutout himself as well.”

On Wednesday night, the Huskies celebrated a 5-1 victory over the Navigators, tying their NWJHL semi-finals playoff series 2-2. 

Wednesday’s game was highlighted by a hat trick from Huskies forward Chase London. 

Alexander says Wednesday’s game was “one of the best” he’s watched London play. 

“Chase is a big leader for us. He’s a guy that stirs the pot, and he chops a lot of wood for us,” said Alexander. 

“He has been around for a long time, so he understands the circumstances of the playoffs and the highs and the lows. For him to go out and lead us not only in the physical department but to also pick up three goals — last night was huge for him.”

Game five is set to commence on Friday night in Fort St. John, giving the Huskies a home game advantage with the support of local fans. 

“Our fans have been amazing. They’ve supported us a lot this year. We’re looking forward to another big crowd, and the atmosphere in our barn is second to none in this league,” said Alexander.

The puck drops in the North Peace Arena at 8 p.m. 

Information on playoff ticket prices and scheduling can be found on the Huskies Facebook page.