The season did not go as hoped but there were still some highlights for the 2019-2020 season. Red Deer finished 17th overall with a 24-33-3-3 record. The team scored 181 times while allowing 250 goals.
With the season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, the players were unable to complete the final five games on the schedule. Listed below are the writer’s selections for the most important awards generally handed out by the team.
Rookie of the Year – Jayden Grubbe
Grubbe was highly touted coming into Red Deer and performed well as a 2018 seventh overall draft pick. He took a handful of games to adjust to the pace of the WHL, but had his first point on October 4th and his first goal on October 22nd. There were minor blips along the way, as expected with anyone in the rookie season. He registered two multi-point games as well as a few fights. Grubbe was also excellent at taking faceoffs, winning 56.3% of his draws, tops among rookies with more than 100 faceoffs taken.
Honourable mention: Christoffer Sedoff
Defenseman of the Year – Ethan Sakowich
The graduating defenseman played his best hockey in his final season, reaching career highs in several categories, while also leading the team as its captain. Sakowich recorded 11 goals and 17 assists as well as six power-play goals (he had none in his career before 2019-2020). Sakowich also took more shots than ever before (133).
Sakowich was always solid in his own end while taking on more minutes with the departure of Dawson Barteaux at the trade deadline.
Honourable mention: Christoffer Sedoff
“Art Ross” trophy winner – Arshdeep Bains
Bains not only led the team in scoring, he did so while nearly tripling his point total from 2018-19. His 18 goals and 33 assists were five more than Ben King. Bains had 14 multi-point games and scored twice four times. The 51 points were the lowest point total for the team lead since 2007-08 when Brandon Sutter had 49 points.
“Rocket Richard” trophy winner – Josh Tarzwell
Tarzwell filled the net at a rate of a goal every second game. With 32 goals, Tarzwell’s nearest competitor was Ben King with 20. Four times Tarzwell had multi-goal games, including a September 27th hat trick against Lethbridge.
Most Valuable Player – Arshdeep Bains
What more can you write about the 19-year-old Bains? The Surrey, BC, native did everything asked of him and more in the 2019-2020 season. Rarely did Bains take a penalty this season, and when he did, it was generally to stop a scoring chance. His 18 penalty minutes were the second least among players regularly in the lineup. He led the team in power-play points with five goals and 14 assists. Bains also scored three goals while killing penalties. Add in the four game-winning goals he scored and you have the makings of the team MVP. While Bains is generally pretty quiet, he has the ability to be a leader in the dressing room, using his skill and desire to lead the team to an improved 2020-21 season.
Honourable mention: Josh Tarzwell, Ben King
