Bulldog Alum Simon Denis Named Asia League Japan Cup Most Valuable Player
Hachinohe, Japan - The Asia League Ice Hockey's Japan Cup Award winners were announced with Bulldog Alum Simon Denis bringing home Most Valuable Player (MVP) and best defenseman honors for his performance with the Tohoku Free Blades.
"I am honored to have won the Best Player of the Asia League Japan Cup," Denis said in a press release (translated from Japanese). "Without the great play of my teammates and hard work by coaches and staff, I would not have won this award."
In 28 games, Denis racked up 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points for the Free Blades as he helped lead them to the Japan Cup Championship. The Playoff Championship round begins tomorrow (March 18).
While at Ferris State, Denis' historic career is the only career in Bulldog history to overlap three NCAA Tournament Appearances and three conference titles. As a freshman, Denis helped the Bulldogs to a Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championship and Ferris State's only Frozen Four Appearance in school history in 2011-12.
Then, as a junior in 2013-14, Denis suffered a season ending spinal injury early in the year, but helped from the press box as the Bulldogs won the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA)'s MacNaughton Cup. The Bulldogs later advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
During his senior campaign in 2015-16, Denis helped the Bulldogs to their first-ever conference tournament championship, winning the Broadmoor Trophy at Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena before helping them shock second-seeded St. Cloud State in the NCAA Tournament a week later to advance to another Elite Eight appearance.
In five years at Ferris State, Denis tallied 15 goals with 45 assists for 60 points in 141 games.
The Burnaby, British Columbia, native also set records in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye with a +40 rating during the 2016-17 season where he notched 55 points in 70 games for the Walleye. He appeared in seven American Hockey League (AHL) games with the Hartford Wolfpack before moving overseas to play in the Asia League starting in 2018-19. Denis is also a member of the Japanese National Hockey Team.
Denis and his wife, Amber, recently welcomed their first born son, Griffin Koshi, on Jan. 7.