Toledo Walleye forward Brandon Hawkins has won the Warrior Hockey ECHL Most Valuable Award after leading the league in points with 93 on 40 goals and 53 assists. This would be the second time a Walleye player has been named MVP (Josh Kestner in 2019-20).
The award is given to the player who is voted as the most valuable to his team and is awarded annually. The award is voted on by ECHL coaches, media relations, broadcasters, and media members. Hawkins finished first, followed by forward Patrick Curry of the Kansas City Mavericks, goaltender Taylor Gauthier of the Wheeling Nailers, Erik Bradford of the Kalamazoo Wings, and Alex Kile of the Maine Mariners.
This is only one of Hawkins’s achievements this season. He was named to the All-ECHL First Team for the second consecutive season, leading the league in goals (40), power-play points (34), and 346 shots. He tied for 15 power-play goals, tied for sixth with 54 assists, and tied for 10th with his six game-winning goals.
Hawkins represented Toledo at the 2024 Warrior Hockey/ ECHL All-Star Classic and was named captain, recording a hat trick and an assist for four points and was a +4. His consistency throughout the season has been remarkable, as he notched a point in 54 of his 70 games. During the season, he had a pair of 14-game point streaks and went no more than two games without picking up a single point.
He ranks seventh on the Walleye all-time list of games played with 188, is second in total points as his 238 points are second to Shane Berschbach, and his 114 goals scored are second to Berschbach’s 116.
Hawkins and the Walleye begin their Kelly Cup journey tonight at the Huntington Center as they take on the rival Kalamazoo Wings. Hawkins will look to lead the team to their first Kelly Cup.
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