Taking top honour – the January MMJHL Player of the Month – is Pembina Valley’s Braeden Beernearts. The 22-year-old forward currently paces the league with 24 goals and 62 points in just 34 games for the first-place Twisters. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Manitoban had seven goals and 19 points in nine January contests, good enough for best production in the league.
The MMJHL also announced three other awards, with the Raiders’ Jeremy Pickel receiving Goaltender of the Month, St. Vital’s Devin Bulloch picking up Defenceman of the Month, and Pembina Valley’s Travis Penner taking home the Rookie of the Month awards.
Pickel put up a 1.48 goals against average and a .925 save percentage, while registering a 2-1-1 record in four games played for the Raiders. Bulloch collected three goals and seven points for the Junior Vics in six games, while the Rookie of the Month, Penner, scored six goals and 16 points in just nine January games.
The month of February opens with three MMJHL games Friday, including a showdown between Pickel and Bulloch. Pickel will then face-off against Beernearts and Penner the following day as Pembina Valley begins its February calendar.
