The Okotoks Oilers saw two of their own honored this week with the announcement of the CJHL awards.
Riley Morris was awarded the 2017-2018 Canadian Junior Hockey Leagues Goaltender of the Year, while Jacob Bernard-Docker won the national leagues’ Defenseman of the year award.
Both said that the awards were an honor, that could have gone to anyone and they were humbled they went to them. Morris said that he has changed over his four years in Okotoks.
“The person that I was when I first came to Okotoks, and the person I am now are completely different. I attribute that to the coaches, management, billets, and community,” Morris said.
He adds that winning this award is just the cherry on top of his career with the AJHL team.
Over his four years with the Oilers Morris set a number of franchise records including most shutouts in a career (10), most career games played (141), and most career wins (88).
The Calgary native said that he wouldn’t have won this award if it wasn’t for his defensive core including Defenseman of the Year winner Jacob Bernard-Docker.
“I credited almost everything I have obtained this year to him and the rest of the d-core on the Oilers, but he is getting the credit that he fully deserves.”
The 17-year-old defenseman said that there was a number of players this award could have gone to and he is honored to have been chosen.
He said that it’s an excellent way to end such a great season with the Oilers.
“It was an unbelievable season with that group – probably the best group of guys I have had the honor of playing with so far,” Bernard-Docker said.
He agreed with Morris’s sentiment about not being the same person or player he was when he first started in Okotoks.
When it comes him as a player, he believes he has become more patient with the puck, and that has made it so he can create more opportunities.
The Canmore native is estimated to be picked 33rd in the upcoming NHL Draft but will be heading to North Dakota to play for the University of North Dakota on NCAA Division 1 scholarship.
He said that he is looking forward to his upcoming time in North Dakota and will never forget the lessons he learned while playing in Okotoks.
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