WHL Tri-City Americans

Shinnimin, Hiller Earn WHL Honors

Published on May 2, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


KENNEWICK, WA - The Tri-City Americans are proud to announce that forward Brendan Shinnimin and coach Jim Hiller each won their respective categories at the 2012 WHL Awards luncheon today in Calgary, Alberta. Shinnimin nabbed the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the league's player of the year, while Hiller collected the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as the WHL's Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, goaltender Ty Rimmer was runner-up to Medicine Hat's Tyler Bunz for the Del Wilson Trophy as WHL Goaltender of the Year.

For Shinnimin, the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy adds to the already long list of accomplishments for the overage winger from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Appearing in 69 games in his final WHL season for Tri-City, Shinnimin amassed a league-best 134 points (58-76) to capture the 2011-12 WHL scoring title while pacing the Americans to their fourth U.S. Division crown in the past five seasons. Shinnimin's 134 points this season were the most by a WHL player since Calgary's Pavel Brendl reached the same mark in 1998-99. Shinnimin, who was also named a WHL first-team all-star, becomes just the second Tri-City player to capture the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, joining current team co-owner Stu Barnes in 1988-89. A former list player, Shinnimin finished his WHL career with 131 goals and 337 points in 267 games, which places him 6th and 5th respectively on the Americans' all-time lists.

Meanwhile, Hiller becomes the third Tri-City coach to win the Dunc McCallum Trophy. Hiller's Americans finished the 2011-12 season with the second-best record in the league and tops in the Western Conference. With a 50-18-2-2 mark, Tri-City capped a remarkable season that saw the franchise reach 50 wins for just the second time as Hiller guided the Americans to a second U.S. Division title in his 3 years at the helm of the club. Since joining Tri-City prior to the 2009-10 season, Hiller has compiled 141 wins in three seasons, averaging 47 wins a season and a 0.676 winning percentage in that time. In post-season play, Hiller has guided the franchise to 6 playoff series wins in 3 years, more than any other coach in Tri-City history, and his 27 playoff wins ties him with Don Nachbaur atop the franchise's all-time list. Nachbaur (2007-08) and Don Hay (1998-99) are the other two coaches to claim the league's top coaching honor with the Americans.

Shinnimin and Hiller are the first individual award winners representing the Americans since Chet Pickard (Goaltender of the Year) and Taylor Procyshen (Humanitarian of the Year) took home league honors at the 2009 award ceremony. The 2009-10 Tri-City Americans took home the Scholastic Team of the Year award.

Here are the full results from the 2012 WHL Awards luncheon...

2012 WHL AWARD RECEPIENTS

Player of the Year

Brendan Shinnimin, Tri-City Americans

Rookie of the Year

Sam Reinhart, Kootenay Ice

Goaltender of the Year

Tyler Bunz, Medicine Hat Tigers

Defenseman of the Year

Alex Petrovic, Red Deer Rebels

Scholastic Player of the Year

Reid Gow, Spokane Chiefs

Most Sportsmanlike Player

Mark Stone, Brandon Wheat Kings

Humanitarian of the Year

Taylor Vause, Swift Current Broncos

Coach of the Year

Jim Hiller, Tri-City Americans

Executive of the Year

Bob Green, Edmonton Oil Kings

Marketing & Communications

Moose Jaw Warriors

Top Scorer

Brendan Shinnimin, Tri-City Americans

Top Official

Pat Smith

Regular Season Champions

Edmonton Oil Kings

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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