Abbotsford’s Riley Emmerson has been named the British Columbia Elite Hockey League’s U15 AAA coach of the year.
The Valley West Giants head coach helped lead his Langley-based team to a record of 24-3-3 during the regular season, good for first place.
The Giants had a goal differential of +83 and scored an average of 4.73 goals per game. The team was also sound defensively, allowing just 1.97 goals per game. They were also disciplined, only being assessed 7.63 penalty minutes per game - the lowest in the BCEHL U15 AAA.
“Thank you to the players for their hard work, to their parents for raising such great kids, to the Giants program and most of all to my family,” he stated on Twitter following the news.
Appreciate all the love from everyone Thanks to the @BCEHL so many strong coaches in our programs so this is a big honour. Thank you to the players for their hard work, to their parents for raising such great kids, to the Giants program and most of all to my family. pic.twitter.com/Sz1KBi2DYv
— Riley Emmerson (@emmo059) June 16, 2022
The team qualified for the playoffs, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the eventual champion Vancouver North West Hawks on March 19.
Emmerson was formerly a coach with both the Langley and Abbotsford Minor Hockey Associations before taking on the role with the Giants in 2019.
He also played high level junior and professional hockey, suiting up for the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs and WHL’s Tri-City Americans before being drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round (199th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft.
Emmerson went on to play with the Texas Wildcatters, Florida Everblades, Stockton Thunder, Utah Grizzlies, Toledo Walleye, San Francisco Bull and Ontario Reign of the ECHL, as well as the Rochester Americans, Springfield Falcons and Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. He also played professionally in Scotland.
For more on the Giants, visit valleywestgiants.ca.
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