By Paul Lecker
For Wausau Pilot & Review
Stevens Point senior forward Kade Smigaj was named Player of the Year, the second time he earned that honor in his career, and was among the six first-team selections to the 2022-23 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Hockey Team, which was voted on by the six conference coaches following the season.
Smigaj, a three-time first-team all-WVC honoree, also won the Player of the Year award in 2020-21. He led the conference in scoring, finishing tied for third with 11 goals and first in assists with 21 to accumulate 32 points as the Panthers won the conference championship.
Joining him on the first team were teammates Hunter Christjohn at goalie, Mason Keller as a defenseman, and forward Jackson Schroeder. Smigaj, Keller and Christjohn all were unanimous selections.
Wisconsin Rapids forward Carsen Gause and Wausau West senior defenseman Mason Debroux round out the first-team picks.
Debroux finished the conference season with eight goals and seven assists as the Warriors finished 8-2 in the conference to place second behind Stevens Point.
West also had a pair of second-team picks – junior goalie Parks Guenther and senior forward Thomas Gerum.
Guenther was second in the conference in save percentage (.909) and goals-against-average (2.25).
Gerum topped West in scoring with 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists).
Wausau East/Merrill senior goalie Jake Furrer and sophomore forward Zach Pagel, and D.C. Everest senior defensemen Kole Ress and Keaton Oettinger, and Wausau West seniors Ryan Ellis, Grant Halmstad and Judah Leder, and freshman Cooper Depuydt were all honorable mention selections.
2022-23 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Hockey Team
(*denotes unanimous selection)
First Team
Goalie: *Hunter Christjohn, sr., Stevens Point.
Defensemen: *Mason Keller, sr., Stevens Point; Mason Debroux, sr., Wausau West.
Forwards: *Kade Smigaj, sr., Stevens Point; *Carsen Gause, jr., Wisconsin Rapids; Jackson Schroeder, so., Stevens Point.
Second Team
Goalie: Parks Guenther, jr., Wausau West.
Defensemen: Mason Dillingham, so., Stevens Point; Carter Morrison, jr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Forwards: Thomas Gerum, sr., Wausau West; Josh Dekarske, jr., Wisconsin Rapids; Noah Peterson, sr., Marshfield.
Honorable Mention
Goalies: Jake Furrer, sr., Wausau East/Merrill; Cole Halvorsen, sr., Marshfield.
Defensemen: Kole Ress, sr., D.C. Everest; Ryan Ellis, sr., Wausau West; Keaton Oettinger, sr., D.C. Everest.
Forwards: Grant Halmstad, sr., Wausau West; Judah Leder, sr., Wausau West; Trevor Vilbaum, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Zach Pagel, so., Wausau East/Merrill; Matthew Eiden, sr., Stevens Point; Cooper Depuydt, fr., Wausau West.
