On Friday, March 4, four coaches were inducted into the MHCA Hall of Fame and four others were honored for their contributions and accomplishments with individual awards.

Going into the hall of fame this year were Keith Hendrickson (Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl), Erik Aus (Centennial), Dave Morinville (Moorhead) and Tom McFarlane (Cloquet).

Individual awards were given to:

Cliff Thompson Award (for outstanding, long-term contributions to the sport of hockey in Minnesota)—John Bianchi, Bloomington Jefferson.

Oscar Almquist Award (given to a non-coach who has contributed to the success of high hockey by advancing opportunities for players and coaches)—Matt Majka and the Minnesota Wild.

Dave Peterson Award (given to a high school hockey coach whose efforts have helped strengthen the bond between youth and high school hockey)—Derrick Brown, St. Cloud Cathedral.

Bruce Johnson Award (given to an MHCA board member who has made extraordinary contributions to the association)—Tom Peart.

The hall of fame inductions and award presentations took place at the Association’s annual banquet, Friday, March 4, 2016, at the St. Paul RiverCentre, held in conjunction with the Minnesota State High School League boys’ hockey tournament.