Best of the Best

The Central Hockey League's "Best of the Best" poll winners were announced today, and three Bucks were honored in four categories.

Player/assistant coach Jeff Bes finished second in voting for Smartest Player and Best Leader, reigning Rookie of the Year Darryl Smith finished third in voting for Best Stickhandler, and defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel finished third in voting for Best Bodychecker.

The Bucks did not earn any off-ice recognition this year.

Riley Nelson dominated the individual honors, as focused on in Lee Scheide's story being used on the CHL Web site, and he quoted Coach Ruskowski about the Colorado Eagles star:

"He's a player that going to make everyone around him better," said Laredo coach Terry Ruskowski, who is very familiar with Nelson's abilities. "Good stickhandler, very smart with the puck and on the penalty kill, great on the forecheck and if there's a turnover, he's gone and you're not going to catch him.

"I would love to have him on my team, just like every other coach would."

I guess he must have spoken to Ruskowski when the Bucks were up on Odessa on Saturday, but the official results were released during practice so neither Ruskowski nor any of the players knew who had won anything until I spoke to them about it.

The full results, votes included, are in an Excel document, so I'm just going to copy and paste the player honorees without the votes below:

1 Best Overall Player
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Kevin Ulanski - Colorado
Justin Bowers - Allen
2 Fastest Skater
Justin Kinnunen - Texas
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Ryan Garbutt - Corpus Christi
3 Best Stickhandler
Ed McGrane - Colorado
Sebastien Thinel - Odessa
Darryl Smith - Laredo
4 Best Playmaker
Sebastien Thinel - Odessa
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Jeff Christian - Missouri
5 Smartest Player
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Jeff Bes - Laredo
Jeff Christian - Missouri
6 Best Goaltender
Joel Martin - Odessa
Danny Battochio - Rapid City
Brett Jaeger - Texas
7 Most Underrated Player
Collin Circelli - Odessa
Chad Costello - Corpus Christi
Bruce Graham - Allen
8 Best on Power Play
Sebastien Thinel - Odessa
Aaron Schneekloth - Colorado
Mike Ramsay - Odessa
9 Best Penalty Killer
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Kevin Ulanski - Colorado
Louis Dumont - Mississippi
10 Hardest Shooter
Chad Woollard - Corpus Christi
Joe Blaznek - Bossier-Shreveport
Derek Landmesser - Mississippi
11 Best Defensive Forward
Brett Smith - Bossier-Shreveport
Marty Standish - Tulsa
Brian Swiniarski - Odessa
12 Best Offensive Defenseman
Aaron Schneekloth - Colorado
Alex Dunn - Odessa
Simon Mangos - Bossier-Shreveport
13 Best Defensive Defenseman
Dave Van Drunen - Odessa
Chris Kaufman - Allen
Gio Flamminio - Rapid City
14 Best Player on Face-Offs
Kory Karlander - Odessa
Chris Richards - Corpus Christi
Bruce Graham - Allen
15 Best Bodychecker
Colt King - Rapid City
Jean Bourbeau - Odessa
Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel - Laredo
16 Best Fighter (Heavyweight)
Brett Clouthier - Rio Grande Valley
Carlyle Lewis - Missouri
Alex Penner - Colorado
17 Best Fighter (Pound for Pound)
Fraser Filipic - Colorado
David Simoes - Mississippi
Chris Cloud - Amarillo
18 Best Power Forward
Colt King - Rapid City
Ryan Tobler - Colorado
David Nimmo - Amarillo
19 Best Leader
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Jeff Bes - Laredo
Chris Bartolone - Arizona
20 Most Gentlemanly Player
Riley Nelson - Colorado
Craig Minard - Texas
Justin Quenneville - Corpus Christi
21 Most Annoying Player
Karl Sellan - Missouri
James Hiebert - Texas
Konrad Reeder - Arizona
22 Best Rookie
Ryan Garbutt - Corpus Christi
Danny Battochio - Rapid City
Nick Sirota - Missouri
23 Best Coach
Joe Ferras - Rapid City
Paul Gillis - Odessa
Brian Pellerin - Amarillo
24 Best Training / Equipment Staff
Colorado Eagles
Allen Americans
Rapid City Rush
25 Best Fans
Rapid City Rush
Colorado Eagles
Missouri Mavericks
26 Most Annoying Fans
Wichita Thunder
Texas Brahmas
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
27 Toughest Building to Win In
Budweiser Events Center - Colorado
NYTEX Sports Centre - Texas
Rushmore Plaza Arena - Rapid City
28 Hardest Working Team
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Texas Brahmas
Odessa Jackalopes
29 Best Arena
INTRUST Bank Arena - Wichita
BOK Center - Tulsa
Budweiser Events Center - Colorado
30 Best Locker Rooms
INTRUST Bank Arena - Wichita
BOK Center - Tulsa
State Farm Arena - Rio Grande Valley
31 Best Ice Surface
Budweiser Events Center - Colorado
Rushmore Plaza Arena - Rapid City
CenturyTel Center - Bossier-Shreveport
32 Best Team Logo
Allen Americans
Corpus Christi IceRays
Colorado Eagles
33 Best Team Uniforms (Overall)
Allen Americans
Rapid City Rush
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
34 Best Broadcaster
Josh Bogorad - Corpus Christi
Brien Rea - Odessa
Travis Huntington - Bossier-Shreveport
35 Best PA Announcer
Reed Saunders - Colorado
Sugar Ray Quinn - Rapid City
Steve Garrett - Missouri
36 Best Press Box
Colorado Eagles
Corpus Christi IceRays
Wichita Thunder
37 Best Game Notes
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Corpus Christi IceRays
Arizona Sundogs
38 Best Team Website
Arizona Sundogs
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Corpus Christi IceRays
39 Best Mascot
Sir-Sting-A-Lot - Rio Grande Valley
ThunderDog - Wichita
Stomp - Amarillo
40 Best On-Ice Promotions
Colorado Eagles
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Missouri Mavericks
41 Best Cheerleaders/Dance Team
Eagle Chicks - Colorado
Ice Angels - Allen
Rushettes - Rapid City
42 Best Arena Music
Rushmore Plaza Arena - Rapid City
Independence Events Center - Missouri
Amarillo Civic Center - Amarillo
43 Best Arena Concessions
Ector County Coliseum - Odessa
BOK Center - Tulsa
Allen Event Center - Allen
44 Best City
Allen - Allen Americans
Independence - Missouri Mavericks
Prescott Valley - Arizona Sundogs
45 Best Host Hotel
Courtyard by Marriott - Allen
Fort Collins Marriott - Colorado
MCM Elegante - Odessa
46 Best Booster Club
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Texas Brahmas
Odessa Jackalopes