CHL ANNOUNCES 2013-14 AWARD
WINNERS
WHL Players Take Home Four Awards
London,
ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the 10 national award winners
for the 2013-14 season including Anthony Mantha of the Val-d’Or Foreurs who
earned Sportsnet Player of the Year honours. The awards were presented as
part of the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup festivities at The Grand Theatre in
London, presented by The London Free Press.
2013-14
CHL Award Winners:
Jack
Link’s Top Prospect of the Year: Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs):
Sam
Bennett is listed first overall by NHL Central Scouting among North American
skaters in their Final Rankings for the 2014 NHL Draft which takes place June
27-28 in Philadelphia. The 17-year-old forward from Holland Landing, ON,
tied for ninth in OHL scoring with 91 points including 36 goals and 55 assists
in 57 games for the Kingston Frontenacs recording a plus-minus rating of
plus-34. Finalists for the award were top WHL prospect Sam Reinhart of
the Kootenay Ice ranked third by NHL Central Scouting, and top QMJHL prospect
Nikolaj Ehlers of the Halifax Mooseheads ranked at number 13.
Chrysler
Dodge Top Scorer: Connor Brown (Erie Otters):
Connor
Brown led all CHL players in scoring with 128 points including 45 goals and 83
assists in 68 games establishing a new team record the Erie Otters who had
their best season in franchise history with 52 wins and 106 points. The
20-year-old Toronto native is a Maple Leafs prospect selected in the sixth
round of the 2012 NHL Draft. Finalists for the award were top QMJHL
scorer Anthony Mantha of the Val-d’Or Foreurs with 120 points in 57 games, and
top WHL scorer Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs who recorded 118 points in
72 games.
SUBWAY
Scholastic Player of the Year: Connor McDavid (Erie Otters):
Connor
McDavid achieved a 92% average during his first semester attending McDowell
High School in Erie and currently carries an 87% average in his final semester
of Grade 11. On the ice, the 17-year-old from Newmarket, ON, and Canadian
National Junior Team member scored 99 points in 56 games for the Otters.
He becomes the second member of the Otters to win the award following Brad
Boyes in the 1999-2000 season. Finalists for the award were Jeremy
Gregoire of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, and Nelson Nogier of the Saskatoon Blades.
Cooper
Tires Humanitarian of the Year: Sam Fioretti (Moose Jaw Warriors):
Sam
Fioretti made a big impact both on the ice and in the Moose Jaw community in
his fourth and final WHL season. The 20-year-old captain from Calgary,
AB, was the driving force behind the Warriors’ partnership with the Moose Jaw
Police Service to visit local schools to speak out against bullying. He
also made it a goal to help educate area students about the importance of
physical activity and was a key participant in the club’s Read to Succeed
Program. He is the second member of the Warriors to win the national
award in four years following Spencer Edwards in 2010-11. Finalists for
the award include Charles-David Beaudoin of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, and
Scott Simmonds of the Belleville Bulls.
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Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year: Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice):
Sam
Reinhart finished tied for fourth in WHL scoring with 105 points including 36
goals and a team record of 69 assists in 60 games recording just 11 minutes in
penalties for the Kootenay Ice. The 18-year-old captain from Vancouver,
BC, also represented Canada at the World Junior Championship and is a top
prospect for the 2014 NHL Draft helping the Ice to a WHL-record 15th
consecutive season with a record of .500 or better. Finalists for the
award include Frederik Gaudreau of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, and Connor
McDavid of the Erie Otters.
Old
Dutch Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year: Eric Veilleux (Baie-Comeau Drakkar):
Eric
Veilleux led the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to first place in the QMJHL standings in
just his second season behind the team’s bench finishing 2013-14 with 99 points
including an overall record of 47-16-2-3. Finalists for the award were
D.J Smith of the Oshawa Generals, and Dave Lowry of the Victoria Royals.
BMO
Rookie of the Year: Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads):
Nikolaj
Ehlers finished fourth in QMJHL scoring with 104 points including 49 goals and
55 assists with an incredible plus-minus rating of plus-65 in only 63 games for
the Halifax Mooseheads. The 18-year-old native of Denmark is eligible for
the 2014 NHL Draft and is the top rated QMJHL prospect listed at 13 by NHL
Central Scouting. Finalists for the award include Travis Konecny of the
Ottawa 67’s, and Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets.
Vaughn
Goaltender of the Year: Jordon Cooke (Kelowna Rockets):
Jordon
Cooke posted a 39-7-0-4 record including four shutout victories in 51
appearances for the WHL’s first place Kelowna Rockets. The 20-year-old
from Leduc, AB, finished second among WHL netminders with a 2.28
goals-against-average and fourth with a save percentage of .922.
Finalists for the award include Zachary Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads, and
Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers.
Arctic
Spas Defenceman of the Year: Derrick Pouliot (Portland Winterhawks):
Derrick
Pouliot scored 17 goals and added 53 assists for 70 points in 58 games with a
plus-minus rating of plus-40 for the Portland Winterhawks who captured their
second straight U.S Division title during the 2013-14 regular season
campaign. The 20-year-old from Weyburn, SK, represented Canada at the
World Junior Championship and is a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect selected in the
first round of the 2012 NHL Draft. Finalists for the award include
Guillaume Gelinas of the Val-d’Or Foreurs, and Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie
Colts.
Sportsnet
Player of the Year: Anthony Mantha (Val-d’Or Foreurs):
Anthony
Mantha led the QMJHL in scoring with 120 points in 57 games played averaging an
impressive one goal per game along with 63 assists during the 2013-14 season
for the Val-d’Or Foreurs. The 19-year-old from Longueuil, Quebec, is a
Detroit Red Wings prospect selected in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft
and played for Canada at the World Junior Championship. He becomes the
second member of the Foreurs to earn Player of the Year honours following Simon
Gamache during the 2000-01 season. Finalists for the award were Connor
Brown of the Erie Otters, and Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice.
The 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup is proudly supported
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Associate sponsors include Bank of Montreal, SUBWAY, Old Dutch, autoTRADER.ca,
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