Article from Grand Forks Herald
Warroad’s Jayson Shaugabay (17) celebrates his goal in the third period of the Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey championship game against Thief River Falls at the East Grand Forks Civic Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
WARROAD, Minn. — It was a clean sweep Monday when USA Today announced its players of the year for boys and girls hockey.
Warroad’s Jayson Shaugabay was named USA Today Boys Hockey Player of the Year, while Rylee Bartz was named the Girls Player of the Year.
The 18-year-old Shaugabay broke T.J. Oshie’s Warroad career scoring mark as a senior, led the state of Minnesota in assists, helped Warroad win the Section 8A title and reached the state championship game. He then won Mr. Hockey, was invited to the NHL Combine and was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round of the NHL Draft this summer.
Shaugabay, a 5-foot-9 winger, had 96 points in 31 games this past season. He finished his high school hockey career as Warroad’s all-time leading scorer with 304 points (114 goals, 190 assists).
He will likely skate for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL in 2023-24 before heading to play Division I hockey at Minnesota Duluth. Shaugabay saw action in the USHL last season with Green Bay, recording 16 points in 27 games with 13 goals and 13 assists.
Bartz, who led North Dakota in scoring at Fargo North-South as a junior, led the state of Minnesota in scoring as a senior. The 5-foot-8 center scored 107 points in 30 games and won the Class A state title.
Bartz will play college hockey at St. Thomas.
Prior Lake’s Alex Bump won the award last season. It’s the first year a girls award was selected.
