By Lisa Schick

Points aren’t everything – PA player receives MVP

Feb 9, 2011 | 5:32 AM

The Prairie Junior Hockey League president Bob Dybvig presented Ice Hawks forward Jody Blais with the league MVP award before Tuesday night’s game against the Quakers.

Blais said receiving the award was a big surprise for him, but that it’s a great feeling to be recognized.

“(It’s a) big league (with) a lot of players and for them to pick me as MVP is a great honour,” Blais said.

Blais was chosen over several other players with more points, but president and general manager of the hockey club, Allan Pasloski, said points aren’t the only thing that matters when choosing an MVP.

“If you look at Jody he’s not in the top twenty in scoring in the league and he still gets MVP because Jody contributes a lot more than just points,” said Pasloski.

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The 20-year-old forward always plays hard out on the ice and shows real leadership to the younger boys said Pasloski, “he’s not a one-dimensional player.”

The Ice Hawks aren’t allowed to vote for their own players, so Blais receiving the award means people in the rest of the league voted for him.

“The beauty of the MVP award is everybody votes on it besides the Ice Hawks, so it just shows the rest of the league sees what Jody’s done and his contributions to the league and to the Ice Hawks,” Pasloski said.

Blais said he thought his coach was playing a joke on him the first time he was told about the award.

“I actually thought it was a joke and he kept telling me he was serious and I just thought he was playing around with me. But once I believed him I was pretty happy actually, it’s a great honour to get the MVP,” said Blais.

In the end the decision was between Blais and Mike Brodziak who is one of the best players out of Regina according to Pasloski.

The 2010/2011 season is Blais’ first with the Ice Hawks and he’s scored 46 points so far.

lschick@panow.com