BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Bloomington Thunder announced its end-of-season awards on the heels of finishing up its third season as a member of the United States Hockey League.

In total, there were seven different awards handed out, as defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk led the way with three individual honors, including the Most Valuable Player distinction. Six of the seven awards were voted on solely by the players, while goaltender Logan Halladay won the Coach’s Award.

A University of Wisconsin commit, Kalynuk finished the season with a career-high 31 points and won the Top Defenseman and Offensive Defenseman awards in addition to his MVP plaudit. In his second season with the Thunder and third in the USHL, Kalynuk served as one of the team’s alternate captains and led all Thunder defenseman in points, goals (6) and assists (25). Kalynuk was only one of two players to appear in all 60 games for the Thunder and paced USHL defenseman with his 159 shots on goal, which was more than double his previous career high in that category.

The only other player on Bloomington’s roster to see ice time in all 60 games was forward Cameron Burke, who earned the Most Improved award. Burke, who is committed to the University of Notre Dame, finished first among Thunder rookies with his 19 points, which was eight more than the next closest rookie skater. Burke’s point total was tied for 16th among all USHL first-year players. He stepped into an elevated leadership role at the end of the season and was appointed to an alternate captain role.

After leading the Thunder in scoring and tabbing a career-high 42 points, Vlad Dzhioshvili was awarded the Top Forward honor. Dzhioshvili went without a point in his first six games of the season, but then recorded a four-point night against Cedar Rapids on Oct. 22. The four-point game was a career-high and tied the team record for most points in a single game. A University of Vermont commit, Dzhioshvili was tied for the team lead with nine multi-point contests and led the team in goals with his 19 tallies.

Sean Harrison received the Defensive Forward accolade for excelling in the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. In his second season with the Thunder, Harrison posted a career-high 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists. The Union College commit recorded 102 shots on goal after he had 40 shots on goal in his rookie season.

Halladay was given the Coach’s Award, which is given to one player each season for outstanding contributions to the team both on and off the ice. The Merrimack College commit was the second player tendered in team history in 2014 and finished his three-year career with the Thunder as the all-time leader in wins (36) for a goaltender and games played (92). Halladay was also heavily involved in giving back to the community, including a project centered around his helmet this season. That project raised $6,120 for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation to help with research and awareness efforts.

Season tickets for the 2017-18 season are on sale now starting as low as $9 per game. Call the Thunder at 309-434-2980 for more information. 

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