2010 - 2011 Player Awards

On Saturday, April 9th the Des Moines Buccaneers organization handed out their 2010 – 2011 player awards in an on-ice ceremony before the start of the game; specifically honoring individual players who impacted this year’s team.

The Bob McCorkle Award is presented in memory of former Buccaneer Bob McCorkle who died in a car accident in 1982. The award is presented to the player who demonstrates and outstanding level of sportsmanship and dedication the game of hockey. This year’s award was presented to goaltender Michael Shibrowski.

The Bob Punsalan Memorial Award is presented to the player who has dedicated many hours of his free time to help guide youth players in the Des Moines metro and in the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association. This year’s award was presented to goaltender Tyler Bruggeman.

The Vicki Allen Award is presented in memory of beloved Buccaneers supporter Vicki Allen. The award is presented to the Buccaneers player who generously donates his time to perform acts of community service in the Des Moines metro including the Buccaneers’ “Stick with Reading” program and various other events. This year’s award was presented to forward Mitch Cain.

The Curt Hammer Award is presented to the team’s leading scorer in remembrance of the outstanding contributions to hockey in Des Moines by Curt Hammer. Curt was a dedicated supporter of Des Moines hockey and was also a former President of the Des Moines Buccaneers. This year’s award was presented to forward Dan DeSalvo.

The Fan Favorite Award is presented to the Buccaneer player who fans have determined, through online voting and ballots, as their favorite Des Moines Buccaneer player of the season. This year’s voting was so close that this year’s award was presented to both forward Dajon Mingo and goaltender Michael Shibrowski.

The Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year player who has made an important impact to the success of the Des Moines Buccaneers on, and off, the ice. This year’s award was presented to forward Dan DeSalvo.

The Most Valuable Player Award is presented to the Buccaneer player who demonstrates outstanding on-ice performance with tremendous all-around leadership. The ward is determined by the team and this year’s award was presented to goaltender Michael Shibrowski.

In addition to all of the awards presented on Saturday night, the Des Moines Buccaneers Booster Club presented their Des Moines Buccaneers Booster Club Scholarship to a deserving Buccaneer player to help them fund their college education. The money for the $3000 scholarship was collected by generous donations from Buccaneer fans including the nightly 50-50 split proceeds, the Tips for Scholarships annual event, fundraisers and other donations. This year’s scholarship recipient was forward Mitch Cain, who is committed to Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota.