Frontenacs Unveil 2023-24 Team Award Winners
Over the past few weeks, we have been unveiling the winners of our Team Awards for the 2023-24 season. Kingston Frontenacs General Manager Kory Cooper along with the coaching staff, led by Head Coach Troy Mann, have carefully selected the winners of each award (except for the Players Choice Award). The 10 awards will be etched with the names of the winners from this past season and will live on in franchise history. The team is proud to acknowledge the well-deserved winners for the following awards:
- Larry Mavety Player’s Choice Award
- Unsung Hero Award
- Scholastic Player of the Year Award
- Len Coyle Memorial Community Service Award
- Hardest Worker of the Year Award
- Rookie of the Year Award
- Top Scorer Award
- Most Improved Player Award
- Top Defenceman Award
- MVP
Larry Mavety Player’s Choice Award
The Player’s Choice Award is voted on by the players of the Kingston Frontenacs and is given to the teammate that best exemplifies the qualities of what it means to be a member of the Kingston Frontenacs.
Winner: Linus Hemström
Linus Hemström was the clear-cut winner of this award, as his presence both on the ice and in the locker room were impactful. Linus is beloved by all of his teammates and is a favourite among the players and the fans of the team.
Unsung Hero Award
The Unsung Hero Award is given to an individual who consistently makes significant contributions to the team and the community often without receiving praise.
Winner: Cal Uens
Cal was a staple in the community this season, participating in blood drives, school visits and even coming to Kingston in the offseason for McHappy Day as he visted McDonald’s locations around Kingston with mascot Barrack the Bear. On the ice, Cal played tough minutes on the blueline and was a warrior heading down the stretch and into the playoffs. Playing a lot at even strength in addition to time on the penalty kill, Cal’s determination and unwillingness to give an inch was an often-unnoticed trait and earned him this award.
Scholastic Player of the Year Award
Winner: Mason Vaccari
The Scholastic Player Award is a distinction given to a student-athlete who excels both academically and athletically.
Mason Vaccari had excellent year in the classroom. Mason takes home the Scholastic Player Award with a high average during his studies for this past school year, as well as being honoured by the OHL, taking home the East Division Academic Player of the Month for February.
Len Coyle Memorial Community Service Award
The Community Service Award is a recognition given to a player that demonstrates outstanding dedication and contributions to the Kingston community.
Winner: Mason Vaccari
A no-brainer for this award, Mason Vaccari raised an astonishing $13,200+ for the Pediatric Wing at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre at Kingston General Hospital. Mason did regular visits to the Pediatric Wing throughout the season, and invited Matthew Moorhead to be a ‘Front for a Day’ at our Family Day game in what was a highly emotional game.
Mason’s season long efforts did not go unnoticed, as he took home the OHL Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy as the Humanitarian of the Year. Just this past weekend at the CHL Awards, Vaccari also won the CHL Humanitarian of the Year for his incredible efforts.
Hardest Worker of the Year
The Hardest Worker Award is a distinction bestowed upon an individual who consistently demonstrates exceptional work ethic, dedication, and perseverance on and off the ice.
Winner: Matthew Soto
Matthew Soto exhibited all the qualities required to take home this award. Soto was always striving to improve his game and was a workhorse both in practice and in the gym during workouts.
Soto was a fixture in the Frontenacs’ top six and seemed to always make his linemates better with his performance. The former first round pick will be relied upon next year as Kingston looks to take the next step.
Rookie of the Year Award
The Rookie of the Year Award is an honour given to a talented young athlete who excelled in their first season with the Kingston Frontenacs Hockey Club.
Winner: Tyler Hopkins
Tyler Hopkins was the club’s fourth overall pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, and immediately made an impact on the team. Although not necessarily showing up on the score sheet, Hopkins’ two-way play earned him time on the penalty kill and important defensive matchups against some of the oppositions best players. As the season went on, Hopkins began to breakthrough and find his scoring touch.
Top Scorer Award
The Top Scorer Award is a prestigious honour given to the player who records the highest number of points for the Kingston Frontenacs in a single season.
Winner: Paul Ludwinski
Team Captain Paul Ludwinski narrowly edges out linemate Jacob Battaglia for the Top Scorer Award. Ludwinski posted 23 goals to go along with 46 assists for a total of 69 points on the campaign, in just 60 games of action.
Most Improved Player Award
The Most Improved Player Award is given to a player who has displayed significant growth, progress, and an enhanced performance compared to their previous season.
Winner: Jacob Battaglia
Jacob Battaglia certainly fits the bill for this award. Selected in the second round in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, the sophomore player boasted a jump of 38 points from his rookie season, and put up his first 30 goal season in the OHL. Once Troy Mann took over behind the bench in late October, Battaglia was elevated to a line with Paul Ludwinski and Matthew Soto and he didn’t look back.
Battaglia ended up with 31 goals, 34 assists and 65 points in 67 games which was good enough for NHL Central Scouting to rank him 42nd among North American skaters for the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft.
Top Defenceman Award
The Top Defenceman Award recognizes the player who demonstrated the best all around ability in their position during the season.
Winner: Roman Schmidt
Roman Schmidt joined the Frontenacs in a trade with the Kitchener Rangers in mid-December. The team welcomed Schmidt in with open arms, as he was exactly what the blueline needed. A towering 6′ 5″, right shot defender who can log big minutes and play in all situations was a huge boost for the team. Schmidt brought a lot of experience to the team and was definitely a leader for the overall young Frontenacs backend. The Midland, MI native logged 8 goals and 20 assists, good for 28 points in just 33 games with the Black and Gold; which is well on pace for his best offensive output of his OHL career had he been with the Frontenacs since the start of the season.
Mostly known for his defensive capabilities, Schmidt credits Head Coach Troy Mann for unlocking that offensive side of his game, as he quarterbacked the top powerplay unit and used his booming shot from the point more than he previously did in his career. The Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick now looks to take the next step in his career, whether that’s with Tampa Bay or their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
Most Valuable Player Award (MVP)
The MVP Award is the highest honour given to an athlete in a sports league or competition. It recognizes the player who had the greatest impact on their team’s success through exceptional performance, leadership, and influence.
Winner: Paul Ludwinski
Paul Ludwinski secures back-to-back MVP Award honours for the Frontenacs with the win for the 2023-24 season. He won the award in the 2022-23 season where he was named Captain after the 2023 trade deadline, and then went on to sign his Entry Level Contract with the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of the season.
The 19-year-old centreman came into this past season more determined than ever to lead this young Frontenacs team to new levels, and he did just that. Ludwinski notched career highs in goals (23), assists (46), and points (69), and was invited to Team Canada’s National Junior Selection Camp for the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championships. He surprisingly didn’t make the team, but he didn’t let that deter his play once he was back in Kingston. The two-way forward led the way for this young Frontenacs team and set the standard for leadership both on and off the ice.
