The Manitoba Junior Hockey League released their award nominees and there's a Steinbach Piston in every category.

Captain Leo Chambers is up for MJHL MVP and the award for playing ability and sportsmanship. Noah Szabo is up for Defenseman of the Year. Head Coach Paul Dyck is once again nominated as the league's top bench boss. Grady Hoffman for Rookie of the Year and 20-year-old standout goalie Cole Plowman is up for the top goaltender.

"As a general manager, it speaks to the balance of our organization," Dyck said Friday morning. "Sometimes, you have an older team where you have an MVP candidate or top defenseman but this year, we have a little bit of everything, including a top goalie and top rookie. It's a reflection of our depth. It feels really good to see those guys recognized."

The 20-year-old Chambers has had a terrific season, currently sitting 3rd in the MJHL scoring race with 21 goals and 41 assists for 62 points in 51 games. He's averaging over a point per game and has sprinkled in 7 power-play goals and 1 short-handed marker. Chambers plays in all situations from power play to penalty kill and has proven himself to be one of the top two-way forwards in the country.

Dyck is happy to see the hard work put in by Chambers gaining recognition from around the league.

"I look at Leo Chambers and his career, he's been grinding for three years. He started in the Northern Ontario league as an 18-year-old, he comes to our league as a 19-year-old and even though he wasn't a rookie, it's a different league. He adjusted and he's become one of the premier players in our league. He's recognized in different categories which shows the depth in his game. He's our Patrice Bergeron, he does everything well, never cheats the game, just a 200-foot player. It's been great to see his evolution, not just as a leader with our team but becoming one of the elite players in the MJHL."

Plowman leads the league in several statistical categories including wins (28), goals against average (1.85), and is tied for the top save percentage (.932) while having played 3 more games than whom he's tied with. He's also posted 3 shutouts and played 2171 minutes, third most in the MJHL.

Watching Plowman evolve into one of the best goaltenders in all of Junior A hockey, Dyck says it couldn't happen to a better person.

"He's had a journey in his career, and he's progressed every year. He just puts in the work, so it's so good to see him get this nod, he's so deserving of it. He's been an absolute workhorse for us and the kind of person he is as well, when you have good people get recognized for their accolades on the ice or their play, it makes it even more special. You can see it's all there. For him to get nominated, it shows how special of a hockey player and person he is."

Once again, Dyck finds himself nominated for Coach of the Year and says the fraternity of MJHL coaches is small so while there's always competition between the group, there's a lot of mutual respect.

"It's kind of surreal. One of my old teammates from my first year of pro hockey sent me a photo of the little snapshot about the group nominated and he commented. All I can say is that it's an honor to be in that, especially as a guy who never had any intentions of coaching. The coaching community is very small, but we have some great relationships away from the rink. Don't get me wrong, we are very competitive with each other. We've had some great playoff series against Portage over the years, Virden lately, and maybe with the Blizzard down the road. We're rivals but we're also friends. I talked to (Blake) Spiller yesterday, (Tyson) Ramsey and I talked recently and I sent Eric (Labrosse) a congratulations text. There are moments when you can cheer for the other guys. Sending the congratulatory texts is nice but being on the receiving end come April and May is where you want to be."

Assistant Coach Calvin Bugyik says watching Szabo grow as a player and person has been special.

"I think when he came here last year, we envisioned him getting to where he is now, but you never really know. It's been great to see him develop and watch him elevate his game. The way he moves, and the way he thinks the game at an elite level, he's become a leader on and off the ice and even in the community. He's a guy others gravitate toward and a great example of what a Piston is. Hopefully, he continues to get the recognition he deserves."

Bugyik says the hopes were high for 18-year-old Grady Hoffman but admits he's blown all expectations out of the water and not just stats-wise.

"Looking at Hoffman, when we first learned about him late last year, Paul had a chance to see him play and I think we were very happy when he committed to us. I don't think, even as talented as he is, we thought he'd have this kind of breakout season. Full marks to him, he's put in the work, he's done all the things he needed to be successful and he's taken the opportunity he's been given and he's run with it. He's been in all situations, he's hit the ground running as a first-year guy and it's been great to watch. He's got more room to grow and he's going to be a special player anywhere he goes in his hockey life."

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League will announce award winners on Monday, March 4th.