A Night to Remember: Thunderbirds Celebrate Inaugural Awards Banquet
February 25th, 2025, marked a historic evening for the Colorado Thunderbirds as we hosted our first-ever Annual TBirds Awards Banquet. The event, held to celebrate the incredible achievements of our players, coaches, and dedicated volunteers, was a resounding success and a testament to the strong community that makes the Thunderbirds family so special.
The evening began with heartfelt opening remarks from the Thunderbirds organization, who reflected on the remarkable progress made in the past year. We acknowledged the collective effort that went into revitalizing The Hangar, expressing deep gratitude to everyone who contributed their time and talent – with a special shoutout to Joey Pastorius.
The Thunderbirds organization then took a moment to recognize the pillars of our program: the tireless team managers, community service coordinators, and the invaluable billet families. We also welcomed the new additions to our coaching staff, Casey Bond and Ryan Ford, along with Goalie Coach Sergei Liulchuk, and thanked Alex Rajaniemi for his work in sharing the Thunderbirds story. Appreciation was also extended to the Awards and Celebration Committee, and to the indispensable Kim Feno and Tiffany Silverberg, the "glue" that holds it all together.
Before diving into the team awards, we paid tribute to our graduating seniors, players aging out of the program, and those who have been Thunderbirds for their entire AAA careers, including Lukas Wild and Berlin Nelson. We also celebrated academic and community service successes, the 14U team’s state/district recognition, and the T1EHL playoff success.
The heart of the evening was the presentation of team awards, with each age group – 13O, 14U, 15U, 16U, and 18U – highlighted through engaging team videos and speeches from their coaches. Each team celebrated their Community Service, Student Athlete, Leadership, Top Forward, Top Defenseman, and Most Valuable Player award winners.
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Club Award Highlights:
The Thunderbirds organization presented the prestigious club awards, each named after notable Thunderbirds alumni, emphasizing our rich 25+ year history. These awards, now proudly displayed in the lounge, recognize players who embody the values of the Thunderbirds program:
* The Pierre Lacroix Community Service Award: Jack Swartzlander
* The Max Hartner Student Athlete Award: Miller Petrovic-Jones
* The Josiah Didier Leadership Award: Anthony Garcia
* The Troy Terry Top Forward Award: Aidan Woller
* The Brandon Carlo Top Defenseman Award: Blake Redpath
* The Cale Morris Top Goalie Award: Ryder Strablizky
* The Jaccob Slavin MVP Award: Broxton Ingle
Team Award Highlights:
13O:
Community Service Award: Camden Buzan
Student Athlete Award: Boden Verheul
Leadership Award: Parker Brown
Top Forward Award: Declan Lacy
Top Defenseman Award: Beckett Higgins
Most Valuable Player Award: Wyatt Pastorius
14U:
Community Service Award: Kellen O'Leary
Student Athlete Award: Miller Petrovic-Jones
Leadership Award: Jack Evans
Top Forward Award: Keegan Brown
Top Defenseman Award: Blake Redpath
Most Valuable Player Award: Cash Whitmore
15O:
Community Service Award: Jack Swartzlander
Student Athlete Award: Knox Tennyson
Leadership Award: Cooper Brown
Top Forward Award: Brady Bakarich
Top Defenseman Award: Valentino Martina
Most Valuable Player Award: Ben Collins
16u:
Community Service Award: Miles Perry
Student Athlete Award: Ryland Cooke
Leadership Award: Anthony Garcia
Top Forward Award: Aidan Woller
Top Defenseman Award: Carson Owen
Most Valuable Player Award: Jace Olson
18u:
Community Service Award: Jack Hannock
Student Athlete Award: Derek Fay
Leadership Award: Max Haims
Top Forward Award: Brick Fisher
Top Defenseman Award: Hunter Wraalstad
Most Valuable Player Award: Broxton Ingle
The night concluded with heartfelt closing remarks from Jenn Woller, who echoed the sentiment of pride and gratitude that filled the room.
The inaugural Thunderbirds Awards Banquet was more than just an awards ceremony; it was a celebration of community, dedication, and the bright future of Colorado Thunderbirds hockey. We look forward to making this annual event a cherished tradition for years to come!