NOTL Wolves hand out annual hockey awards

It had been a while since the Niagara-on-the-Lake Wolves Minor Hockey Association had gathered post-season to hand out awards, but president Pete Flynn felt it was time to get back to giving players, coaches and volunteers the recognition they deserve.

“It takes so many people to make everything happen,” Flynn told a small gathering in the lobby at the Centennial Arena in Virgil on Monday. “So many volunteers helping out in our tournaments, refereeing, helping in the scorer’s box, board members, coaches, parents, without these people it would not go so well.”

That led to the first award of the evening. The association’s equipment manager Glen Davis presented Anthony Felice with the Volunteer of the Year Award.  

U18 Travel Team head coach Devon Neudorf was presented with the Kocsis/Glauser Coach of the Year Award by Carl Glauser and Paul Kocsis, who sponsor the award in the names of their fathers, who coached in NOTL for many years. 

In accepting the award, the 27-year-old Neudorf thanked the association for the opportunity he and his staff were given to take on their roles as non-parent coaches the past two seasons. 

“I’m very honoured to receive this,” Neudorf stated, “but this is really a team award. None of our success would have been possible without my fellow coaches - Marc (Sandwell), Garrett (Kaszycki), Alex (Reed), Kyle (Juras) and Mackenzie (Berg). We all supported each other and worked as a group the entire year. It was a full group effort, and the kids on the team were great this season, they really bought into it all.”

The next two awards were presented by local league convenor Mike Cwiertniewski. Lucas Pillitteri won the Mike Moore Goalie Award, while Ben Bayne was presented with the Joel Murray Player Dedication Award. Cwiertniewski was aided by last year’s Moore and Murray award winners, Zander Rigas and Liam VanGent respectively, who handed this year’s winners their plaques.

“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching this guy for many years,” said Cwiertniewsk of Pillitterii. “Every year Lucas puts in the work day in and day out, whether it’s clinics, games or practices. He’s always striving to get better and to get to the next level.”

Of Bayne, Cwiertniewski said, “This kid wears his heart on his sleeve. He would go through a wall for his teammates. His effort was next-to-none, 100 per cent every day, all the time.”

Neudorf had the pleasure of handing his U18 team captain Marco Gruosso the Jamie Froese Memorial Award. 

“This is a special award for me to present today,” Neudorf said, referencing the fact that he and his co-coaches Reed and Juras had won the same award in their final years of playing for the Wolves. “What this award stands for is what shaped our philosophy as coaches. It’s given to a player who exemplifies the love of hockey, a dedication to fair play, and respect for players, coaches and officials. Marco is a great leader and we’re honoured to award this to him.”

Wolves’ treasurer Phil Leboudec, representing the Virgil Business Association, explained the the VBA Scholarship, the Wolves’ newest award.

“Through all the things we’ve contributed to for over 50 years,” Leboudec said, listing off the arena, the splash pad and many other VBA-supported town facilities, “our primary goal has been to give back to the youth in our community. We felt this would be another way to help our youth.”

In presenting U18 Travel Team player Nick Munera with the scholarship, Leboudec explained that his application stood out from others partly because he was choosing between four or five good universities to begin studying business in September. 

The James Berg Memorial Scholarship Award was the final award of the evening. The award is donated each year by the Berg family out of proceeds from their December memorial tournament held in NOTL.

Wolves' tournament convenor James Cadeau presented the scholarship to Braden Grealy, a member of one of two U18 Local League teams this year.

“This award goes to a selfless player,” Cadeau explained, “a player who enjoys the sport, is good-natured, all those things that were part of James Berg’s character. This young man has been on our team for 10 years and our captain for five years. He speaks with his actions, not his words. He’s a hard-working young man for whom we’ve had a lot of respect over the years.”

2023-2024 NOTL Wolves Awards Winners:

NOTL Minor Hockey Association Volunteer of the Year - Anthony Felice

Kocsis/Glauser Memorial Award for Coach of the Year - Devon Neudorf

Mike Moore Goalie of the Year Award - Lucas Pillitteri

Joel Murray Player Dedication Award - Ben Bayne

Jamie Froese Memorial Award - Marco Gruosso

VBA Scholarship Award - Mick Munera

James Berg Memorial Scholarship Award - Braden Grealy