Central Plains Capitals forward Joey Moffat may not have won the league scoring title but he was named the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League's Most Valuable Player.

Moffat was well on pace to finish above 70 points but capped out at 60 because of an injury suffered a few weeks ago against Eastman. In 40 games played he notched 28 goals and 32 assists, 10 goals and 13 assists came on the powerplay, and six were game-winning goals.

"It's a huge honour to be chosen after going down," says Moffat. "It's nice to hear some good news came from going down. Getting hurt with four games left before playoffs wasn't exactly what I had planned out but there isn't much I can do about that. No one could get this award without the help of their teammates, and we've got a great group of guys in the room and I couldn't have done it without them."

The 16-year-old is the first ever Central Plains player to capture the award, as it's just the second year the award will be handed out. He was drafted by the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League last year and says it's exciting to think about where his hockey career could go.

"I think a season like this will open some more eyes my way," says Moffat. "I'm going to be trying out for the Terriers next year and hopefully, I'll be able to crack the roster and solidify myself as a good player."

"He's a great kid and he was having an amazing year," says Caps head coach Brad Gnidzjieko. "The kid is hilarious. He's got a great sense of humour, he's a great teammate, he's good in the dressing room. He was good right out of the chute this year, it didn't matter who he played either. He really put an emphasis this season on his play away from the puck, and he's always in a position to get a pass or get a shot on net. He also adds a lot of value on the physical side, he finishes checks, and he's strong."

The Caps will be without Moffat tomorrow night when they visit Yellowhead for the first round of the playoffs. That game goes at 7:30 in Shoal Lake.

Franchise Record Set

The Central Plains Capitals finished the 2016-17 season 25-15-3, breaking the franchise record for most wins in a regular season according to Gnidzjieko. They also broke the record for most points in a season with 54.

"As far back as the stats go that I could find, back to 2005, the record we have (this season) is the best of those years. We've got a strong team," admits Gnidzjieko. "There might be other teams out there that have more skill individually from top to bottom, but we have a fantastic dressing room and a really close knit team. Everyone does their job, and when every does that you get a great collection of players that form a great team. Considering that we're young with five guys graduating this year, we've got a great future."

Gnidzjieko adds they'll be looking for a strong playoff performance to keep their season alive as long as possible.