Release from 26.02.2024

Steven Owre was voted MVP of the regular season

Short text 233 CharactersPlain text

The journalists of the win2day ICE Hockey League voted Steven Owre Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2023/24 regular season, the first time this award has gone to Vorarlberg in only the second season of the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg.

Press release 3340 CharactersPlain text

Steven Owre is the first player from a Vorarlberg team to win the "Ron Kennedy Trophy" in league history. In his debut season in the win2day ICE Hockey League, he promptly emerged as top scorer and top goal scorer in the regular season. 31 goals is the highest number achieved by a player since the 2020/21 season. Owre also recorded 31 assists in the regular season. The Pioneers' number 96 scored in 32 of his 48 games.

Steven Owre, who will be honored as part of the pre-playoff series on Tuesday in Feldkirch, received the most votes of all players in the MVP voting with 62 points and was named on first place 15 times. Second place went to EC-KAC goalie Sebastian Dahm, while John Hughes from EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV came third.

"Ron Kennedy Trophy"
Ron Kennedy was a great of our sport who had a positive influence on Austrian ice hockey for many years. Ron Kennedy came to Innsbruck via the Netherlands and Germany in 1982 and played in the Tyrolean capital for two years. After a few years overseas, he returned to Austria in 1992 as head coach at EC VSV, where he led Villach to the championship title in his very first year. Kennedy later moved "abroad" again for a few years before returning to Austria as national team coach in 1996. The Canadian was very successful in this role until 2002: Under his leadership, Team Austria managed to remain seamlessly among the best ice hockey nations in the world and showed off with great results. He then coached EC VSV for another four years, leading them to two more championship titles. After five years in Germany, Ron Kennedy took up the coaching position at HC TWK Innsbruck "die Haie" on January 6, 2008. It was to be his last place of sporting activity, as Kennedy was forced to retire in December 2008 for health reasons before losing his battle with cancer forever on July 9, 2009. Kennedy was not only a successful coach, but also a person who was always there for everyone at all times. In memory of Ron Kennedy, the win2day ICE Hockey League has been awarding the "Ron Kennedy Trophy" to the "Most Valuable Player" voted for by hockey journalists since the 2009/10 season.

Top 5 in the voting for Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2023/24 regular season:
1. Steve Owre (BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg), 62 points
2. Sebastian Dahm (EC-KAC), 44 points
3. John Hughes (EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV), 18
4. Jan Mursak (EC-KAC), 16
5. Johannes Bischofberger (EC-KAC), 14

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (from 2009/10 "Ron Kennedy Trophy"):
2023/24: #96 Steven Owre (BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg)
2022/23: #12 Brady Shaw (HC TIWAG Innsbruck)
2021/22: #3 Peter Schneider (EC Red Bull Salzburg)
2020/21: #32 Sebastian Dahm (EC-KAC)
2019/20 #1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (EC Red Bull Salzburg)
2018/19: #3 Peter Schneider (spusu Vienna Capitals)
2017/18: #6 Rafael Rotter (EV Vienna Capitals)
2016/17: #21 Riley Holzapfel (EV Vienna Capitals)
2015/16: #13 Colton Yellow Horn (HC Orli Znojmo)
2014/15: #7 Brian Lebler (EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz)
2013/14: #11 Derek Ryan (EC VSV)
2012/13: #74 Jamie Lundmark (EC-KAC)
2011/12: #72 John Hughes (HDD TILIA Olimpija Ljubljana)
2010/11: #25 Benoit Gratton (EV Vienna Capitals)
2009/10: #32 Alex Westlund (EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz)
2008/09: #9 Thomas Koch (EC Red Bull Salzburg)