European Hockey Awards: ZSC Lions, Helminen, Červenka, Sandin-Pellikka among winners
The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs, the leading organization for club hockey, has handed out its annual Fenix Outdoor European Hockey Awards at a ceremony in Prague.
The ZSC Lions Zurich nabbed the Club of the Year honours, ahead of Brynäs Gävle (SWE), Eisbären Berlin (GER), HC Dynamo Pardubice (CZE), and SaiPa Lappeenranta (FIN). The Swiss club won the Champions Hockey League, defended their National League title, and pulled off a repeat in the under-20, under-17, and under-15 age groups.
The Coach of the Year was Raimo Helminen, head coach of SaiPa, which went all the way to the final, having finished dead-last in the Finnish Liiga the season before. The other nominees were championship coaches Serge Aubin (Eisbären), Marco Bayer (ZSC Lions), and Kamil Pokorný (HC Kometa Brno), as well as Niklas Gällstedt, whose Brynäs finished second in the Swedish SHL.
Sweden’s Axel Sandin-Pellikka of Skellefteå AIK was named Fjällräven Young Player of the Year, edging out Oliver Kapanen (Timrå IK), Kevin Pasche (Lausanne HC), goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (Kiekko-Espoo) and Vinzenz Rohrer, (ZSC Lions). The 20-year-old defenceman was captain of the Swedish team at the IIHF World Junior Championship, where he was fourth in scoring and named Best Defenceman. He was also ninth in defencemen scoring in the SHL and Junior of the Year in Sweden.
Pardubice's Roman Červenka received the Warrior Career Excellence Award. The long-time captain of the Czech national team has excelled internationally, winning two gold medals, two All-Star selections and a scoring title at the Worlds, where he's played more than 100 games. Other nominated warriors include Moritz Müller (Kölner Haie), Jan Urbas (Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven), Linus Omark and Jenni Hiirikoski (both Luleå Hockey).
Fenix Outdoor European Hockey Awards winners:
Hanwag Club of the Year: ZSC Lions
Globetrotter Coach of the Year: Raimo Helminen, SaiPa Lappeenranta.
Warrior Career Excellence Award: Roman Červenka, HC Dynamo Pardubice.
Fjällräven Young Player of the Year: Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Skellefteå AIK
Kånken Youth Recruitment and Retention Award: Jar Idrettslag, Norway. In a decade, the club has grown to Norway’s second-biggest hockey club.
EHC Leadership Award: Fredi Pargätzi, who was the Spengler Cup organizing committee’s president for 25 years and is still in charge of team acquisitions.
