REGINALD "POP" PHILLIPS MEMORIAL AWARD

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER

PATRICK SHOEMAY

BURNABY LAKERS/NEW WEST SALMONBELLIES

There was arguably no one who sharpened his skills as a defender as much as Patrick Shoemay this BCJALL season. What started as an excellent year with Burnaby eventually turned into a trade that sent Patrick to the 'Bellies for a Minto Cup run. In New West, Shoemay found a regular shift coming out of the back gate and didn't look out of place while doing so. 

With the Lakers, the 6'4" player who plies his trade in NCAA field with RIT was often matched up against a team's top scorer and did as reasonably well as anyone would think. He helped lead Burnaby to a bit of a resurgence and was part of a defensive unit that really had some strong games. 

The other thing that was refreshing to see is tough defense without making your team pay for it. Shoemay fits the bill there perfectly. In 52 career games including playoffs, Shoemay took just 38 minutes in penalties, with the most coming in his rookie year in Burnaby with 11. You can't win when you're best players are stuck in the box, and that's part of what made Shoemay such a valuable contributor to both the Lakers and the 'Bellies playoff run. 

Shoemay is athletic and skilled enough to run in transition, plays strong help D and can get out on shooters' hands to disrupt shots. He will prove to be a high pick in the WLA Draft later this year and should hit the ground running with whatever club he ends up with. 

Congrats to Patrick!

Tomorrow we will announce the Doug Hazelwood Memorial Trophy for Coach of the Year.