On Wednesday, April 12, the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) named its award winners and All-Star teams for the 2022-23 season in the U18 AAA, U17 AAA and U15 AAA divisions; and there was no mistake that Airdrie's U15 AAA Xtreme athletes stood out.

Among those named in the awards were Airdrie Xtreme players Finn Bagley, Riley Boychuk, and Aaron Sawatzky. Boychuk, Sawatzky and Caelan Joudrey were also been named to the AEHL All-Star teams. Boychuk garnered three awards, including Most Valuable Player, Top Forward, and Playoff MVP. Sawatzky was named as the top defenceman, while Finn Bagley nabbed the Most Sportsmanlike award.

However, the players weren't the only ones who were recognized by the AEHL for their achievements. Head Coach Tyson Soloski was named Coach of the Year.

"For myself to receive that award, I think it just goes to show how well our entire coaching staff worked together and was able to help the kids develop along the way," Soloski said. "But, ultimately, it was the buy-in of our players that got me that award and, and our coaching staff that supports me."

The season for the Airdrie Xtreme will be one to remember for a long time as the hockey club had a perfect playoff run going into the provincial championship, which they too won against their rivals in Okoktoks. When asked what Soloski believes makes his coaching so effective, he said that as with many things in life, it is about creating relationships. 

"It allows you to get the most out of all of your players because they trust you as a person and as a coach. They also trust that you have their best interest as a team and as and as an individual," he said. "On top of that, you just need to make sure that you are doing it in an environment that creates a really good culture. We want to create a really good culture for all of our players, and it starts with the coaching staff. Then, ultimately, it's on the players to continue with that good culture."

While Soloski has much to be proud of when it comes to watching the athletes in his team nab awards left, right and center, he said that he knows full well that awards this season doesn't mean that next season will be easy. 

"I think they will enjoy the moment and be able to look back on that. But ultimately, I know each of those kids will get right back to work and put in the work in the off-season because they all want to play at the next level."

This isn't the first prestigious news from the AEHL, as last week, several of Xtreme's players were also named to the Alberta Cup.

Will McLaughlin, Benett Kelly, Aaron Sawatzky, Isaac Davies, Finn Bagley, Ryan Schrock, Caelen Joudrey, Riley Boychuk, Griffin Horne, and Braeden Bohach-Murray were selected from 100-some players that will now be representing their regions at the 2023 Alberta Cup in Red Deer. 

Soloski said that while every hockey season is special and unique, this one is definitely one for the books.

"We ended up setting a League record with our regular season record and then going on to win a provincial championship.[This] is something that I know all the players will never forget. Our coaching staff won't forget either."

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