Spokane Goaltender Lemanowicz Selected As Best In Whl

David Lemanowicz, who helped the Spokane Chiefs to their first West Division regular-season title, was honored Tuesday as winner of the Del Wilson Trophy as the Western Hockey League’s top goaltender.

Lemanowicz, also named the first-team goalie on the West Division all-star team, had a league-leading 2.89 goals-against average while playing all but 10 games.

WHL coaches and general managers selected the award winners.

Defenseman Sean Gillam and forward Jason Podollan made the West’s second team for the Chiefs. Gillam had 58 assists and 11 goals in 69 games.

Podollan finished with 37 goals and 25 assists in 56 games.

Non-players honored for the Chiefs were vice president of marketing Dave Pier, awarded the St. Clair Group Trophy for marketing/public relations; general manager Tim Speltz, given the Lloyd Saunders Trophy as executive of the year; and coach Mike Babcock, the runner-up to Brandon coach Bob Lowes for the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy.

Kamloops dominated the West first team, placing defensemen Nolan Baumgartner and Jason Holland, and forwards Jarome Iginla and Hnat Domenichelli on the squad.

The Blazers also cleaned up in the trophy hunt. Iginla earned the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL player of the year; the Bill Hunter Trophy for top defenseman went to Baumgartner; and Domenichelli won the Brad Hornung Trophy as most sportsman-like player.

Other top honors went to Brandon, the league’s regular-season champions (52-19-1 record, 105 points) who won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. Saskatoon’s Mark Deyell, who compiled a league-high 159 points, won the Bob Clarke Trophy.

Spokane opens the WHL playoffs at home Friday and Saturday against the Portland Winter Hawks.

, DataTimes