Perth Thunder's Yu Hikosaka named MVP as AIHL announces 2025 award winners

Perth Thunder forward Yu Hikosaka has been named the 2025 AIHL MVP, taking home the Mick McCormack Cup.

Hikosaka was awarded the honours in a ceremony during the first intermission of the first semi-final on Saturday.

In his second AIHL season, Hikosaka put up 68 points for the WA side, finishing only behind Brisbane Lightning's Tanner Hopps on 80 points.

The Japanese import was one of three Thunder players to take home individual honours over the AIHL Finals Weekend. Thunder goalie Aleksi Toivonen was named Goaltender of the Year, while Ben Breault took home the Coach of the Year Award.

Toivonen went 14-7 with a save % of .895, while posting two shutouts this season. Breault led his team to a 15-10-1-2 record in his third year behind the Thunder bench and is the second time he has won the award.

The Newcastle Northstars' Wehebe Darge took home the Skaters Network Australian Player of the Year Award, just two weeks after crossing the 500 AIHL career point mark, second all-time only to Greg Oddy's 615 points.

Bray Crowder of the Canberra Brave was named Defenceman of the Year, while the Rookie of the Year honours were a tie between the Adelaide Adrenaline's Luka Loria and the Melbourne Mustangs' Artem Astafiev.

The Melbourne Ice were awarded the H.Newman Trophy as the league's minor premiers, while Ice captain Mac Caruana was named AIHL Finals MVP during the post-game ceremony, just prior to also lifting the Goodall Cup. 

AIHL 2025 Award Winners' List

MVP - Yu Hikosaka (Perth Thunder)
AIHL Finals MVP - Mac Caruana (Melbourne Ice)
Skaters Network Australian Player of the Year - Wehebe Darge (Newcastle Northstars)
Goaltender of the Year - Aleksi Toivonen (Perth Thunder)
Defenceman of the Year - Bray Crowder (Canberra Brave)
Coach of the Year - Ben Breault (Perth Thunder)
Rookie of the Year - Luka Loria (Adelaide Adrenaline) and Artem Astafiev (Melbourne Mustangs)
H. Newman Reid Trophy - Melbourne Ice