The Merritt Centennials are pleased to announce that Stephan Seeger has been named the team’s 2016-17 Playoff Most Valuable Player.
Seeger finished tied for fifth in scoring on the Cents during the regular season with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 46 games. He cranked up his game during the playoffs, scoring 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 11 games, including a triple overtime winner in Game Two against West Kelowna and a first overtime winner in Game Four to eliminate the Warriors in a series sweep. Seeger also added five points (three goals, two assists) in Merritt’s seven game loss to Penticton in the Interior Conference semifinals.
The 21-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario returned to the Centennials this season after spending 2015-16 in the Ontario Hockey League with the Flint Firebirds.
“I remember getting a call a few years ago from a friend in hockey about Stephan. He was describing him as a player, and when I asked about his character, I was given the reply, ‘Joe – I wouldn’t be calling you unless I believed in this guy.’ I’m forever thankful for that phone call,” said Centennials General Manager and Head Coach Joe Martin.
Seeger first joined the Cents late in the 2014-15 season and posted eleven points (five goals, six assists) in 20 games. He added three assists in four playoff games that year. Prior to joining Merritt, he bounced from the Fairfield Blues Midget AAA team to the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2013-14 and the Oshawa Generals of the OHL to the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL in 2014-15.
