Each year YHH watches hundreds of games, hosts tournaments all over the state, and collects some great information on thousands of players. There are so many great stories of so many great kids. 

In 2013, we began handing out the Wiz Wyatt Player of the Year Award as a way to recognize players for athletic, academic and leadership achievement. Our criteria for the award is pretty simple. 

• The player must be an outstanding player (top 1%)
• The player must be a great student and leader.
• The player must be a multi-sport athlete.

The award is NOT given to the best player in the state. When you read the accomplishments of Wiz Wyatt, you will see that he was a rare and talented athlete who was respected both on the field, in the locker room and in the classroom. I was fortunate to have been coached by Wiz, and he was a tremendous balance of teacher, mentor and friend. 

Wiz Wyatt was a highly-decorated three-sport star at Minneapolis West in the early 1970's. After graduating from West, he went on to Harvard and played hockey for the Crimson for his collegiate career. Post-graduation, Wiz coached youth hockey in Minneapolis and Edina both as a non-parent and parent volunteer. He currently lives in Edina with his wife Jane and is the father of four adult children Susan, Mary, Michael, and Jessie.

Player: Jonny Bloedow
Hometown: Chaska
Birthyear: 2009
School: Breakaway Academy
GPA: 3.68 (4.0 Scale)
Team: Chaska Chanhassen
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey (AA) and Football
Parents: Sam and Jessica

From the start of the season through the Region playoffs, Bloedow has done nothing but produce, leading the Stormhawks to a 37-14-2 record and the No. 4 slot among Peewee AA teams according to NOW Rankings. 

Bloedow led the Big Pumpkin in scoring with 11 goals and 17 points in five games for the Stormhawks and hasn't slowed down the scoring since. In the South Region playoffs last week, Bloedow racked up a ridiculous nine goals in three wins, and totaled 10 points while the Stormhawks punched their ticket to State with wins over Owatonna, St. Cloud and Rosemount. Bloedow scored five of those nine goals in the win over the Irish in the Region final. 

Stormhawk head coach Tom Battis said of Bloedow, "Jonny is an immensely talented young man." He continued, "his level of compete is exceptional.   I have had the opportunity to be a part of his journey for the last two seasons and it has been a wonderful experience to watch his progression for the game he loves.”

Player: Dylan Donnay
Hometown: Edina
Birthyear: 2009
School: Breakaway Academy
Team: Edina
GPA: 3.76 (4.0 Scale)
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey (AA) and Baseball
Parents: Chad and Kate

While Edina has been eliminated from the postseason after falling 7-6 in overtime against Woodbury, Donnay's performance after returning from injury this fall cannot be understated. During the Big Pumpkin in October, the absence of the Hornets' Swiss Army knife of a forward was felt on the ice.  

Donnay finished tied for third in the East Region field with eight points for the Hornets, and registered 13 goals and 15 assists in 19 games during events tracked by GameSheet. 

Dylan has all the tools to be a great player in the future. His dedication to his game and the team are unmatched among players I've coached," said longtime Edina coach Jeff Johnson. " He was a vocal leader in the locker and really helped our team achieve success this year."

Player: Owen Konrad
Hometown: Eden Prairie
Birthyear: 2009
School: Central Middle School
GPA: 3.55 (4.0 Scale)
Team: Eden Prairie
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey (AA), Football and Baseball (AAA)
Parents: John and Melissa

Konrad started the year leading Eden Prairie to the finals of the Big Pumpkin Invitational with seven points in four games, and helped the Eagles to a 30-19-2 record during the 2022-2023 season. 

The Eagles fell to Andover in the consolation bracket of last week's Peewee AA West Region, and Konrad tied for the team lead in scoring with five goals and eight points, and totaled 25 goals and 46 points during events tracked by GameSheet this season. 

“If there was one word to describe Owen Konrad it is, passion. Every single day whether it is a practice or game Owen brings it 100%, said Konrad's coach Andrew MacLeod.  "Owen is someone who expects nothing, but goes out and earns it - staying after practice to condition or shooting pucks before practice."

Player: Drew Kortan
Hometown: Moorhead
Birthyear: 2010
School: Horizon Middle School
GPA: 3.50 (4.0 Scale)
Team: Moorhead
Position: Defense
Sports: Hockey (AA) and Baseball
Parents: Ryan and Janna

To this point, Kortan has powered a Spud squad that's outscored opponents 384-101 this season en route to a 48-2-3 record heading into the Peewee AA State Tournament. The Spuds have won 17 consecutive contests heading into the season's final weekend. 

A high-flying defender with a penchant for the exhilarating rush up the ice, Kortan registered three goals and nine points in Moorhead's three wins in the North Region. 

Moorhead head coach Pete Cullen told YHH, "Drew is such a fun kid to have on our team. He is one of the seven returning players from last year. He's a good kid, student and a multi sport athlete making him a deserving recipient of this nomination." Cullen went on, "Drew is a solid defenseman who has some pretty sly but subtle ways to break the puck out.  He plays with emotion though you would never notice by the look on his face. When he gets back to the bench with that little smirk on his face because he just roasted someone, that’s when a coach knows Drew is on his game." 

Player: Nash Roed
Hometown: White Bear Lake
Birthyear: 2009
School: Central Middle School
GPA: 3.75 (4.0 Scale)
Team: White Bear Lake
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey (AA) and Baseball
Parents: Pete and Kelly

The latest in a long line of highly talented Roed skaters for White Bear Lake, Nash could be one of the most skilled all-around athletes in the family. 

Roed posted 13 points and was chosen tourney MVP of the Lumberjack Cup in December and paced the Bears during Peewee AA East Region play with four goals and six points. During the Minnesota Hockey District 2 playoffs, Roed racked up an impressive 11 goals in seven games. 

The Bears concluded the season with a 30-16-5 record, falling in the consolation bracket of the East Region. 

"Bears' head coach Ben Butters couldn't say enough good things about the youngest Road brother, "Nash is a highly skilled hockey player who plays with a high level of determination." Butters said,  "he loves his teammates and bleeds orange and black. I loved coaching him this year, he's an excellent student and high quality young man."

Player: Landon Sampair
Hometown: Mahtomedi
Birthyear: 2010
School: St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School
GPA: 4.0 (4.0 Scale)
Team: Mahtomedi
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey (AA) and Lacrosse
Parents: Brandon and Liv

It's hard not to notice Sampair during Mahtomedi games, given the sparks flying from his skates. Like Roed, Sampair comes from a hockey family with deep roots, and Landon is no exception when it comes to the family business of skating and skill. 

Sampair led the Zephyrs to a four-win result at the Big Pumpkin, sitting near the top of the leaderboard with eight goals and 13 points in five games before helping the Zephyrs finished 37-17-5 on the season. The team eventually bowed out during the West Region playoffs.  

Mahtomedi assistant coach Kevin Bidon said of Sampair, "Lance is one of the best athletes I've ever coached. While he put up points for our team, he also defended as well as anyone on our team." Bidon went on to say, "he's not the rah rah leader of our team in the locker room, but the minute we hit the ice everyone knows whose in charge."