Men's Ice Hockey

MIAC announces 2023-24 Men’s Hockey awards

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its award honorees for the 2023-24 Men's Hockey season on Thursday.
 
Bethel sophomore forward Tyler Kostelecky and Augsburg junior goaltender Samuel Vyletelka were selected by MIAC head coaches as the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Augsburg first-year forward Landon Parker was named Rookie of the Year while Bethel head coach Chris McKelvie was recognized by his peers with Coach of the Year honors.
 
Kostelecky (Maple Grove, Minn.) was voted MIAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading all skaters with nine goals in conference play this season. Kostelecky also assisted on seven goals for a total of 16 points against MIAC opponents. He is the first Bethel player in recorded conference history to receive a MIAC Player of the Year (Offensive/Defensive/MVP) award in men's hockey.
 
Vyletelka (Zilina, Slovakia | Grammar School of St. Francis of Assisi) was selected MIAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in goals against average (1.87), saves per game (32.13), and save percentage (0.945) this season. The junior stopped 514 shots in conference games, first in the league by a margin of 143 saves. He is the third Auggie in the last five seasons to receive MIAC Player of the Year (Offensive/Defensive/MVP) honors in men's hockey and the first to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Parker (East Grand Forks, Minn.) was named MIAC Rookie of the Year after tallying six goals - including a pair of game-winners - in conference play. Parker ranked fourth among all skaters with a plus/minus of nine and totaled 12 points on the season. He is the first Augsburg player to receive MIAC Rookie of the Year honors in men's hockey.
 
McKelvie (Sixth Season) was celebrated by his peers with MIAC Men's Hockey Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Royals to their most conference wins (11) since 2007-08 and the program's highest conference winning percentage (0.750) since 2006-07. McKelvie is the fourth Bethel coach in program history to be named MIAC Coach of the Year and the first since Peter Aus in 2005.
 
In addition to individual awards, MIAC coaches also selected 20 players All-Conference with nine more receiving honorable mention distinction. All awards were nominated by and voted on by the nine MIAC head men's hockey coaches and only statistics from regular season MIAC contests were considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as All-Conference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.
 
Five of the 20 players named All-Conference in 2023 had earned All-MIAC honors in a previous season, while St. Scholastica's Filimon Ledenkov received the honor for the third time in his career.
 
The MIAC also announced the annual All-Playoff Team for men's hockey, which recognized the top eight performers from the conference tournament, as selected by playoff-participant head coaches.