CHL award winners announced

NEWS RELEASE

CANADIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

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CHL Announces 2007-08 Award Winners

The Canadian Hockey League today announced the national award winners for the 2007-08 season. The awards were presented during a special ceremony today that was part of the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup festivities.

CCM Player of the Year – Justin Azevedo, Kitchener Rangers

Azevedo was the top scorer in the OHL this season, scoring 43 goals and 81 assists for 124 points in 67 games this season. The 20-year-old from West Lorne, ON had a quick start to the season, racking up 16 goals and 50 points during a 21-game point scoring streak that stretched from Sept. 30 to Nov. 24. He enjoyed a six-point game (three goals, three assists) on Dec. 30 against Peterborough and five-point efforts against Guelph on Oct. 21 (one goal, four assists) and again on Nov, 23 against Sarnia (three goals, two assists). Karl Alzner of the Calgary Hitmen and Francis pare of the Chicoutimi Sangueneens were also nominated for the award.

NAPA Auto Parts Top Draft Prospect – Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting

Stamkos finished the season as the top-rated North American prospect for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft next month in Ottawa. The second-year player was fifth in the OHL scoring race this season, scoring 58 goals and 47 assists for 105 points in 61 games. He also helped Canada win the gold medal at the World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. Tyler Myers of the Kelowna Rockets and Mikhail Stefanovich of the Quebec Remparts were also nominated for the award.

Mosaik MasterCard Rookie of the Year – Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires

Hall, a 16-year-old from Kingston, was the second overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection last May. He led all first year players with 45 goals to go along with 39 assists and finished second among OHL rookies with 84 points in 63 games. Hall also helped Team Ontario win the World Under-17 Challenge in London in January and was a member of Canada’s Gold Medal winning Under-18 team last week in Russia. Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Olivier Bellevance-Roy of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles were also nominated for the award.

Home Hardware Humanitarian of the Year – Chris Morehouse, Moncton Wildcats

Chris Morehouse of the Moncton Wildcats, a dedicated philanthropist and role model in the greater Moncton area, won the QMJHL’s Humanitarian of the Year award. He spent countless hours visiting kids in hospitals and working with underprivileged kids foundations in the greater Moncton area. On the ice, the 20-year-old from Saint John, NB scored 16 goals and 32 points in 69 games. Ashton Hewson of the Swift Current Broncos and Peter Stevens of the Kingston Frontenacs were also nominated for the award.

Molson Canadian Defenceman of the Year – Karl Alzner, Calgary Hitmen

Alzner enjoyed an outstanding 2007-08 regular season with the Calgary Hitmen. The 19-year-old product of Burnaby, B.C., tallied seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points to go with a solid +26 rating in 60 regular-season games for the Hitmen. Alzner, the fifth overall pick by the Washington Capitals in 2007, was the captain of Canada’s Gold medal-winning World Junior team. Drew Doughty of the Guelph Storm and Marc-Andre Bourdon of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were also nominated for the award.

Prospects Hockey Sportsman of the Year – Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll, Shawinigan Cataractes

Lalonde-McNicoll was previously awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the QMJHL’s top sportsman. He led the Cataracts in scoring with 43 goals and 40 assists for 83 points. The 19-year-old from Longueuil, QC accumulated just 20 penalty minutes in 69 games. Tyler Ennis of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Nick Spaling of the Kitchener Rangers were also nominated for the award.

Boston Pizza Top Scorer – Justin Azevedo, Kitchener Rangers

Azevedo was the top scorer in the CHL this season, scoring 43 goals and 81 assists for 124 points in 67 games this season. The 20-year-old from West Lorne, ON helped the Rangers win the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s top team in the regular season with a team record 53 wins and 110 points. Mark Santorelli of the Chilliwack Bruins and Mathieu Perrault of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan were also nominated.

Subway Scholastic Player of the Year – Robert Slaney, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

Slaney was the recipient of the Marcel-Robert Trophy, which honours the QMJHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year. The 19-year-old from Carbonear, NL maintained an 86 average despite a heavy work load in school and on the ice. Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats and Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires were also nominated for the award.

ADT Goaltender of the Year – Chet Pickard, Tri-City Americans

Pickard was the CHL’s top goaltender this year after racking up a 46-12-2-2 record to go along with a 2.32 goals against average and .918 save percentage in 64 games. He also had two shutouts and helped the Americans win the WHL’s regular season title with 52 wins and 108 points. Pickard is one of the top goaltending prospects available for the NHL Entry Draft next month. Mike Murphy of the Belleville Bulls and Bobby Nadeau of the Chicoutimi Sangueneens were also nominated for the award.

Go RVing Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year – Bob Boughner, Windsor Spitfires

In just his second season behind the Spitfires’ bench, Boughner guided the team to a 41-15-7-5 record that left them tied for third overall in the OHL with 94 points this season, a 51 improvement over the previous season. It was only the third time in franchise history that they achieved 40 or more wins in a season and the second time that they achieved 90 or more points. Boughner, a 37-year-old Windsor native, graduated from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 1991, He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League before retiring in 2006. Don Nachbaur of the Tri-City Americans and Pascal Vincent of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles were also nominated.

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