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Bonkowski, Airey, Littler named FortisBC 3 Stars of the Month

Photo credit: Garrett James Photography

Surrey Eagles forward Jacob Bonkowski, Cranbrook Bucks goaltender Nathan Airey and Wenatchee Wild forward Cade Littler have been named the FortisBC 3 Stars of the Month for December.

1st Star – Jacob Bonkowski (F) – Surrey Eagles

Bonkowski led the BCHL with 10 goals in December in just nine games played. He added four assists to finish the month with 14 points, which was tied for the second highest total in the league.

The 19-year-old had at least one goal in all but two games in December, including three different occasions where he scored twice in a game. He also registered multi-point performances five times, including four straight to finish the month.

With his strong December showing, Bonkowski has jumped into a tie for sixth in league scoring with 37 points in 29 games, while his 18 goals on the year rank tied for fifth among all BCHL skaters.

2nd Star – Nathan Airey (G) – Cranbrook Bucks

Airey won all five of his starts in December, stopping 165 of the 172 shots he faced to finish the month with a .959 save percentage and a 1.40 goals-against average.

The Abbotsford, B.C. product was busy before the holiday break, making five starts in a span of two weeks. He did not allow more than two goals in a game during that stretch and kept his opponents to just one on three different occasions. He also saw a ton of rubber during these games, facing a minimum of 32 shots in each start, including a Dec. 10 game where he stopped 36 of 37 shots to beat the Penticton Vees 4-1.

Airey now owns the second-best save percentage in the league with a mark of .932 on the season and his 2.33 goals-against average ranks third in the BCHL.

3rd Star – Cade Littler (F) – Wenatchee Wild

Littler tied for the second most points in the BCHL in December, posting five goals and nine assists for 14 points in nine games.

The 2022 Calgary Flames draft pick recorded at least a point in seven of nine contests in the month, including five multi-point efforts. He started December with a four-point outing in an overtime loss to the Trail Smoke Eaters and kept rolling from there. He closed out the month with three straight games with two points, including a pair of two-goal performances.

Littler has 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 30 games on the season to sit in a tie for 10th in league scoring.

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Honourable mentions:

Victoria Grizzlies F Owen Bohn: 8GP – 6G – 7A – 13PTS
Victoria Grizzlies G Oliver Auyeung-Ashton: 6GP – 4W – 2 SO – .950 SV% – 1.75 GAA
Wenatchee Wild F Ean Somoza: 9GP – 2G – 13A – 15PTS
Wenatchee Wild F Parker Murray: 9GP – 8G – 3A – 11PTS
Penticton Vees F Aydar Suniev: 6GP – 5G – 7A – 12PTS
Penticton Vees F Josh Nadeau: 7GP – 6G – 6A – 12PTS
Penticton Vees F Bradly Nadeau: 7GP – 3G – 10A – 13PTS
Nanaimo Clippers D Ethan Mistry: 8GP – 10A – 10PTS