Central Hockey League leading scorer Jeff Bes of the Laredo Bucks has today been named the CHL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2003-2004 season. The award is “presented annually to the CHL player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” and is selected through balloting among all CHL Head Coaches, Public Relations Directors and selected media members in each market. Bes was selected by 46 percent of all voters for the award, and he has also essentially wrapped up the Joe Burton Trophy as the CHL’s leading scorer with 115 points entering tonight’s action, holding a 21-point advantage in the race.

Bes, from Tilsonburg, Ontario, has been the key cog for the offensively charged Bucks, who lead the CHL in average goals for per game at 4.18. Bes has been involved in 115 of Laredo’s 259 goals this season, an amazing rate of 44.4 percent, and has recorded 35 multiple-point outings. Of his 38 goals this season, 16 have come on the power play and four have been shorthanded, and Bes was a landslide winner as “Best Playmaker” in the recently completed CHL “Best of the Best” poll, also ranking in the top three in the “Best Overall Player”, “Best Stickhandler”, and “Best Penalty Killer” categories.

“Jeff Bes has had a tremendous year for us,” said Bucks head coach Terry Ruskowski. “He is one of the reasons that our record is where it is at. Jeff comes to play game in and game out and he is well deserving of this award. The Bucks organization is very proud of him.”

Bes and Laredo, with a record of 48-8-6 entering the final weekend of CHL play, have already secured the Governors’ Cup as regular season champions and will enjoy home-ice advantage throughout the Ray Miron President’s Cup Playoffs. The Bucks will face Southeast Division rival Rio Grande Valley in the Southern Conference semi-finals, beginning Friday, March 19th at the Laredo Entertainment Center.

Finishing second in Most Valuable Player voting with 22 percent was San Angelo netminder Scott Reid, who earlier this week was named the CHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender. Other finalists for the Most Valuable Player honor were Rio Grande Valley goaltender Jeff Levy, Indianapolis left winger Jason Baird, Colorado right winger Greg Pankewicz and Bossier-Shreveport forward Chad Spurr.

Six of eight Central Hockey League playoff participants have been determined. Laredo, San Angelo, Amarillo and Rio Grande Valley have qualified in the Southern Conference, while Indianapolis, Memphis and Wichita are competing for two remaining spots in the Northern Conference alongside confirmed entries Bossier-Shreveport and Colorado.