DENVER – Senior goaltender
Magnus Chrona highlighted the Denver Pioneers hockey team's awards as the recipient of the 2022-23 Bill Masterton MVP.
Chrona was among nine individuals to be honored during the program's 66th annual awards banquet on May 8 at Magness Arena. Among the other award winners was senior
Justin Lee earning the Keith Magnuson Best Defensive Player Award, sophomore
Massimo Rizzo winning the Dallas Gaume Offensive Player Award and forward
Aidan Thompson being selected as the Barry Sharp Freshman of the Year.
Lee repeated as being honored as the best defensive player while also being chosen for the Dr. Ralph Verploeg Most Inspirational Player Award. Goaltender
Jack Caruso received the Bob Martin Community Service Award for the second consecutive year as well.
The full list of DU hockey's award winners:
Chrona started in all 32 games he played in as a senior in 2022-23 and posted a 22-9-0 record, 2.19 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and four shutouts. The NCHC Goaltender of the Year, Chrona ranked tied for ninth in the country in wins and tied for 10th in shutouts. Also named to the NCHC's All-Conference First Team and the winner of the NCHC Three Stars Award for the second consecutive season, the Stockholm, Sweden, native was one of nine semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award, given to college hockey's top goaltender.
Lee recorded a career-high six goals and added seven assists while playing in all 40 games during the 2022-23 campaign, ranking second among Denver rear guards in tallies and fourth in points (13). He added four game-winning goals, tied for the second most overall on the squad. The Waskada, Manitoba, native led the team with a plus-30 rating and 59 penalty minutes and was third on the squad with 53 blocked shots and became the first DU player to be awarded the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year from the conference. Named the 93rd captain in program history prior to the season, Lee appeared in his 100th career game on Oct. 28 at Miami and suited up in his 125th career contest on Feb. 18 versus Minnesota Duluth.
Rizzo led the Pioneers and the entire NCHC in overall scoring during the season with a career-high 46 points (17g/29a) in 38 games. A member of the All-NCHC First Team, the Burnaby, British Columbia, native was named a Second-Team All-American and also led the NCHC with 31 points in league play. Rizzo led the Pioneers in assists while ranking second in goals. The sophomore posted a career-long 11-game point streak from Nov. 26-Jan. 14 (6g/8a), his third such stretch of at least six games in his collegiate career.
Thompson led all Pioneer freshmen in scoring and ranked fifth on the team with 32 points (10g/22a) in 32 outings. Despite missing the first eight games of the year with an injury, Thompson still recorded a point in 23 contests during the year. He registered at least a three-game, point streak six times during the year, including going on a season-long seven-game point stretch from Jan. 27-Feb. 26 (3g/6a) that also included personal best three-game goal and assist (tied) streaks.
Lemyre finished his freshman campaign with seven points (4g/3a) in 19 contests to be named the Murray Armstrong Most Improved Player. After being held off the scoresheet in his first seven career games, the Mirabel, Quebec, native tallied his first career goal on Dec. 16 vs. Lindenwood. His final six points of the year came in his final five outings of the season, as he tallied three goals and three assists during a four-game point streak from March 3-11.
Wright was recognized with the Dr. Ken Bredesen Most Sportsmanlike Player Award, as he recorded 12 points (8g/4a) and a plus-13 rating while only taking two penalty minutes in 34 games during the year. The Burnsville, Minnesota, native registered his first career points on Nov. 11-12 at North Dakota, totaling two goals and two assists and tallying the game-winning marker in each contest.
King is the recipient of the Dr. Art Mason Top Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the player that excels on the ice and in the classroom with a high grade-point average. The Calgary, Alberta, native registered a career-high 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points in 38 contests. He led the team with 337 faceoff victories and a .526 faceoff-winning percentage.
Caruso, who is one of the Pioneers' backup goaltenders, is the hockey team's representative for the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Council and helped with campus engagement. The winner of the 2022-23 Bob Martin Community Service Award has also used his time to help teach youth goaltenders throughout the Denver metro area. He appeared in a career-high four games during the year, stopping all four shots he faced.
Ritchie was surprised with the award that bears his name for his lifetime commitment to not only the hockey program but all sports teams at the University of Denver. The Daniel Ritchie Spirt Award honors an alumnus or friend of DU Hockey that embodies Ritchie's spirt of giving back to the school, not only financially but with also time and effort. Ritchie served as the DU Chancellor from 1989-2005 and was the Chairman of the board of the university from 2005-2007.
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