Vipers Alumni Corkey One Of Three Finalists Named for League’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award:

Former Vernon Vipers defenceman-captain Brett Corkey is one of three finalists for the 2016-17 Best Defensive Defenseman Award.

Corkey is in his fourth year with Colgate University, played three seasons in Vernon (2010-2013) was the Vipers captain his final season of Junior hockey. In 167 games with the Vipers Corkey collected (6-goals-79-assists-85-points).

Brett Corkey's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=51730

This was posted on the ECAC website:

Finalists Named for League’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award

Mar 09, 2017 

ALBANY, N.Y. -- ECAC Hockey (@ecachockeyMWD1) today announced the finalists for the 2016-17 Best Defensive Defenseman Award. Brett Corkey, Colgate, James de Haas, Clarkson and Jeff Taylor, Union were each selected as finalists for the league’s top defender honor by the 12 league coaches.

Corkey commandingly led all ECAC Hockey defenders with 97 blocked shots and 2.62 blocked shots per game in overall games as well as leading the league with 60 blocks and 2.73 blocks per game in conference games. He also recorded career-highs with five goals, 11 assists and 16 points in his best collegiate season for the Raiders. The Calgary, Alb. native tied for third among league defensemen with three power-play goals in conference games. His four goals in conference games were tied for sixth among league defensemen. He played a major part of Colgate's fifth-ranked penalty kill at 83.5 percent in league play and 83.6 percent in all games. The senior led Colgate in blocked shots in back-to-back seasons.

de Haas helped Clarkson earn home ice for the first-round of the ECAC Hockey conference tournament as the sixth seed. The senior captain from Mississauga, Ont. registered 47 blocks on the season, while totaling seven goals and 21 assists on 64 shots. His point total was the most by a Golden Knight blue-liner since 2002-03 and ranked fourth among his league counterparts. The draftee of the Detroit Red Wings helped the Golden Knights rank in the top half of the league defensively, allowing an average of 2.65 goals per game, while posting a 84.2 percent penalty-kill success rate. He also registered two game-winning goals, two power-play goals and one shorthanded goal in conference play.

Taylor was a member of Union's top defensive pair throughout the 2016-17 campaign appearing in all 22 league games, registering 15 blocks. The senior assistant captain ranked second among ECAC Hockey defensemen with a +11 rating in league play. The solid two-way player led all defensemen with 22 points, including a conference-best seven goals. His four game-winning goals led all Division I defensemen and six power-play goals ranked second among all of this Division I counterparts. The Pittsburgh Penguins draftee scored a league-best six multi-point games in conference play and recorded a seven-game and a five-game point streak, while helping the Dutchmen capture a share of the Cleary Cup.