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Wylie Rogers collected an Alaska Nanooks single-season record of 923 saves this past season.

He was absent Saturday night from the arena where he made many of those saves, but he collected three honors in Alaska’s annual awards banquet.

“I think his influence on this program transcends stats,” Forrest Karr, University of Alaska Fairbanks athletic director, said at the podium in the Pioneer Room of the Carlson Center.

Karr then presented the Steve Moria Most Valuable Player, Top Playoff Performer and Fans’ Choice awards to Bill and Judy Rogers, who accepted the trophies for their son, who is trying out with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL.

Wylie, though, spoke Saturday night by cell phone from the stands of Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena. His father held the phone to the podium’s microphone.

“None of this would have ever been possible without every single guy on the team and the coaching staff,” the younger Rogers said.

His parents were later honored with the Pat and Gerry Shields Award, recognizing their hospitable support of the program, as they often provided lodging for other players’ parents who traveled to Fairbanks for Nanooks games.

Other honorees Saturday night were senior defenseman and team captain T.J. Campbell (Pumphouse Team Player); sophomore center Dion Knelsen (Keith Street Top Scorer); junior Tyler Eckford (Shawn Chambers Best Defenseman); senior center/defenseman Brandon Gawryletz (Dean Fedorchuk Most Improved); freshman center Derek Klassen (Don Jamieson Unsung Hero); sophomore defenseman Dustin Molle (Ricky Pitta Most Dedicated); Ben Roth (Tavis MacMillan Alumni Award); Dr. Cary Keller (Booster of the Year), and freshmen wings Dustin Sather and Landon Novotney shared the Doug Desorcie Top Rookie Award, and junior left wing Trevor Hyatt received his second straight Dirk Anderson Scholar-Athlete Award.

Along with backstopping every win this past season in the Nanooks’ 9-21-5 overall finish, Wylie Rogers set single-season records for minutes played (1,795:24), saves percentage (.922) and saves in a game, 64 in his last appearance for his hometown university. He holds Alaska career records for wins (42), shutouts (seven), saves (2.960), minutes played (6,235:14) and Central Collegiate Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week honors (seven).

Rogers was also among five seniors honored Saturday night, joining Campbell, Gawryletz, right wing Ryan Muspratt and left wing Aaron Lee. Campbell couldn’t attend because he is playing with Utah in the ECHL playoffs. The five, who were among 11 freshmen in the 2004-05 season, helped the Nanooks set a CCHA precedent of three first-round playoff wins on the road in three years and were part of an NCAA rarity of four upsets of No. 1- ranked teams during their careers.

“We battled through the wind sprints and the shin splints,” Lee said in a speech. “We stuck together through the wins and the tough times.”

Knelsen led the Nanooks with 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 35 games. His assists this season equaled his total points as a freshman.

“Every year you want to get better; you always want to improve from the year before,” Knelsen said. “I have to say that I was playing with some very good players this year and I had tons of opportunity to play. Playing with Novo, Sather and Tyler Eckford made offense come quite naturally.”

Eckford was the Nanooks’ second-leading scorer this season (8-23-31 totals) and he led CCHA defensemen in scoring (5-18-23 line in 28 games). His award Saturday night comes one day after he was named to the first team of the RBK Hockey All-America West Team.

“I think for the last three years, this is the award I’ve kind of worked myself toward,” Eckford said. “When you’re looked up to as the best defenseman on the team, it’s a lot of pride for myself.”

He was also honored to receive the award from Nanooks interim head coach Dallas Ferguson, who has tutored the Alaska defensemen for the past four seasons.

“He’s kind of mentored me and I look up to him,” Eckford said. “Everything he says, I absorb and listen to because he’s a brilliant man. He is the best coach I ever had, especially with the time he spent with me individually.

“There were times he could have been impatient, but he was patient and he stuck with me.”