The Cochrane Generals have sent Tyson Soloski off with a bang.
Soloski, the Gens captain who wrapped up his fourth and final Heritage Junior Hockey League campaign this season in Cochrane, was named the team’s most valuable player and most dedicated player to go with the team top-scorer honours.
The 21-year-old graduating junior B player’s senior season was as impressive as improbable.
Shaving more than 100 minutes from last season’s penalty total, the forward took up head coach Evan McFeeters’s challenge to spend more time contributing on the ice than cooling off in the penalty box. His dedication to that challenge earned him the captaincy of the team and, ultimately, the most-valuable and most-dedicated player awards.
“When he first came to the Gens he was a skilled forward, but he had a little bit of chippiness to his game,” McFeeters said at the team banquet. “He wanted to find his niche with the team and he wanted to be the captain. So we discussed before the season if he wants to be captain he has to be the best player every night. And our best players have to be on the ice. So he decided he wanted to lead the team in scoring instead of penalty minutes. And he did.”
Soloski finished the year with 15 goals and 40 assists in 36 games, one point ahead of graduating teammate Andrew Bergmann.
To his credit, Soloski was a reliable scorer when he was putting up 147 penalty minutes instead of 43. He admits missing mixing it up in his senior year.
“I usually talk all the time, I could every game and probably get a lot more penalty minutes. But I knew I couldn’t do that. I needed to be on the ice putting up points this year. I needed to be on the ice as much as I could be to help us win.”
The awards cap a four-year career in which he played for three different Generals head coaches – Dana Boothby, dad Ken Soloski and McFeeters.
“When my dad was coach, I was looking at a coach. He was probably hardest on me on that team,” Soloski said. “And Evan was hard on me this year, too.”
Wearing the “C” this season is something he won’t forget.
“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t get it given to me. I had to earn it. I stayed out of the penalty box and played well at both ends of the rink. I think I did earn it by the time I got it. It was an awesome feeling. I couldn’t be more happy with wearing that.”
But, he admits, he will miss playing Jr. B hockey for Cochrane.
“Every game is the most fun you can have,” he surmised.
