VANCOUVER – Leading the Canada West in goals and points while setting new program records in a dominant offensive coming out party, fourth-year UBC Thunderbird
Grace Elliott has been named the 2024-25 Canada West Women's Hockey Player of the Year.
As the conference announced their major awards Tuesday, second-year T-Bird
Jaylyn Morris has been named this season's Top Defenceman while goaltender
Elise Hugens has been honoured with the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.
It has been a season to remember for Elliott who exploded out of the gate and never looked back, driving UBC's conference leading offence with record-setting numbers.
The fourth-year forward from White Rock, B.C. led the Thunderbirds with 22 goals and 42 total points while setting program records in both categories previously set by Tatiana Rafter in the 2014-15 season.
Finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a ten-point lead atop the conference scoring race, Elliott's remarkable season was also one of consistent production. She was never held off the scoresheet for consecutive games, put up multiple points on 12 different occasions with a season-long point streak of 11 games.
"What she's done right from training camp you just saw there was a spark and a fire and she had just elevated her game in the off-season," said UBC head coach,
Graham Thomas, who has guided his team to a fourth consecutive Canada West Final appearance. "To set an all-time program record and just the second player of the year for us, she just left no doubt and kept getting better and better. She's consistent, she scores in big games and creates offence every game. Her impact game in and game out, I'm so impressed with her and so proud of her and the fact she still has one more year left is also really exciting."
Elliott also led the conference in plus/minus with a +28 rating, power play points with 15, and tied for the lead with seven power play goals and six game winning tallies.
It's the second straight season a Thunderbird has led the regular season in points and the third time in the last four years with
Mackenzie Kordic accomplishing the feat last year and
Chanreet Bassi doing so in 2021-22. Elliott's 42 points also stand as the highest single season total in the conference since Iya Gavrilova's 43 in 2015-16.
Elliott is just the second Thunderbird to be named Canada West Women's Hockey Player of the Year, following Rafter's award in 2013-14.
A year removed from receiving the Canada West Women's Hockey Rookie of the Year Award,
Jaylyn Morris has only continued to develop her game to establish herself as one of the top blue liners in the country.
Finishing the regular season tied for scoring by defenders with seven goals and 10 assists, the Maple Ridge, B.C. native led all Canada West blue liners with 10 power play points, five of them goals. Aside from her offensive prowess, Morris was just as effective in her own zone, finishing the season with a +26 rating, by far the best plus/minus of any defender and just two off the overall lead.
Playing top pairing minutes and in all situations, Morris also accumulated just four minor penalties all season making her a reliable and responsible leader in just her second year of Canada West play.
"She's continuing to get better and better and has really impressed us with her consistency," said Thomas. "To win this award as this stage in her career is really impressive but she puts the work in, she's dedicated, she's focused. She responds to challenges and pressure and just plays her game. We're really proud of her. She's answered the bell and is fully deserving."
Morris is the second Thunderbird to win the conference Top Defenceman Award, following in the footsteps of her former teammate,
Rylind MacKinnon, who was honoured in 2021-22.
On the ice, Hugens has been the backbone of the three-time defending conference champion T-Birds, holding program records for most wins in a season (18), career wins (58) and most career shutouts (21). But her extensive volunteer and community work off the ice has been just as impactful as her performance in the UBC net.
Hugens has made a significant impact through her volunteer work, particularly with SuperHEROS Hockey. This program provides children with cognitive and physical disabilities the opportunity to learn how to skate and play hockey. Elise has been a dedicated volunteer with the program for four years, accumulating over 150 volunteer hours while helping the program double in size through her ability to get her teammates and other UBC programs involved.
Beyond hockey, Elise has contributed to the community in numerous ways. She has volunteered with Canuck Place Children's Hospice, providing support and peer mentorship to sick children and their families. She is also an active member of the Thunderbird Athletic Council (TAC) and serves as UBC's representative on the Canada West Student Engagement Council. Her passion for giving back extends to the coaching realm, where she has been mentoring aspiring young hockey players since she was 12 years old. This season, she was the goalie coach for the U15 A2 Angels and a coach for the U9 Angels.
"Elise is an incredible competitor both on the ice and in the classroom. She is a leader on the team and a tremendous teammate. She cares so much about her teammates, the program, and the community. Elise has such a positive attitude and infectious personality, and is always smiling and looking for ways to help others. This is evident with all the volunteer work she does every year. She continues to inspire young athletes in our community and give back to those who need support and care."
Elise's dedication also extends into research and nonprofit work. She is involved in a kinesiology research lab studying physiological responses to aerobic training. She has also worked with the Paralympic Sports Association in Edmonton, leading inclusive sports summer programs for adults with disabilities. Her leadership efforts include organizing a toy drive for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau during a recent Thunderbirds home game that collected over 120 toys.
The T-Birds host the Alberta Pandas for the Canada West Championship with UBC looking for a fourth consecutive title. The best-of-three series begins Thursday, March 6 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Puck drop for game one is set for 7:00 p.m. with
tickets available now.
