Kovacs named most valuable Thunderbird

The jump to junior hockey was a good one for Jacob Kovacs.

The 16-year-old joined the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds this season and proceeded to have an MVP season.

The NOJHL club announced its team awards this week and Kovacs was named the Thunderbirds most valuable player and earned three other awards in the process.

In addition to earning the Thunderbirds top-scoring forward award after posting 27 goals and 58 points in 55 games, Kovacs earned rookie of the year award as well as the Zoltan Kovacs Memorial Trophy as the Thunderbirds hardest working player.

The season led to Kovacs being drafted by the Barrie Colts in the OHL draft earlier this month.

Other Thunderbirds award winners included Nolan Ford, who earned the scholastic player of the year award and the players player award; Will Josephson and Kurtis Rogers, who shared the Ted Brooks Award for excellence in the community; Rylan Clemons, who earned the most sportsmanlike award; Warner Young, who was named defenceman of the year; and Cooper Smyl, who earned the Michael Doan Award as most improved player.