Canadian Junior Hockey League
Media Update
Release date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
CJHL announces finalists for Top Forward of 2016-17
Harris: Wenatchee (BCHL); Hebert: Cumberland (CCHL); Leipsic, Portage (MJHL); Jacome: Georgetown (OJHL); Allkins: Dryden (SIJHL) named finalists for CJHL’s Top Forward honour)
CALGARY, Alta. – The Canadian Junior Hockey League announced Tuesday the five finalists for its Top Forward Award, which is awarded annually and determined through voting by the 10 leagues that comprise the 132-team CJHL.
Earning nomination for the honour is Brendan Harris (Wenatchee Wild – BCHL); Grant Hebert (Cumberland Grads – CCHL); Jeremey Leipsic (Portage Terriers – MJHL); Jack Jacome (Georgetown Raiders – OJHL) and Braeden Allkins (Dryden GM Ice Dogs – SIJHL).
Listed below you will find information on each of the finalists:
BCHL: Brendan Harris – Wenatchee Wild: Harris led the BCHL in scoring with 23 goals and 75 assists for 98 points in 57 games while amassing just 14 penalty minutes. … An assistant captain during the 2016-17 season, Harris posted 32 multiple-point games, helping Wenatchee win the Ron Boileau Memorial trophy as regular-season champions. … Earlier in the 2016-17 campaign, the 20-year-old Henderson, Nev., native boasted an impressive 14-game point streak. … Harris is an active volunteer with the Learning with the Wild program in Wenatchee. He is also committed to attend Bemidji State University on scholarship for 2017-18.
With files from Brent Mutis, Communications Director (BCHL)
CCHL: Grant Hebert – Cumberland Grads: As the leading scorer of the CCHL, Hebert showed he can play in all on-ice scenarios, including both the power play and penalty kill. … The 19-year-old St. Andrews West, Ont., product is a very powerful skater, who boats great vision, hands, and ability to carry the puck. … Has committed to NCAA Robert Morris University for 2018-19 so still has another season of junior ahead of him. … In 60 games, Hebert notched a CCHL-best 91 points on 27 Goals and 64 Assists.
With files from Sean Marcellus, Administrative Operations Manager (CCHL)
MJHL: Jeremey Leipsic – Portage Terriers: Leipsic established himself as not only one of the best forwards in the MJHL, but in all of the CJHL. … Hailing from Winnipeg, Man., Leipsic put himself in an exclusive class of players as only one of five CJHL players to reach, or surpass 100 points. … In his final year of Jr. A., he was named a MJHL first-team all-star forward, a three-time RBC/MJHL Player of the Month recipient while going on to win the MJHL scoring race and was also selected a game star in 12 games this season. … Leipsic was also awarded the MJHL’s Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship Award.
With files from Brian Smiley, Media Relations Officer (MJHL)
OJHL: Jack Jacome – Georgetown Raiders: Winner of the OJHL’s Top Scorer Award, the 18-year old native of Caledon, Ont., was also selected an OJHL 1st Team All-Star. … Jacome topped all OJHL scorers with 57 assists and 91 points in 53 regular season games while finishing third in the league with 34 goals. … Tied for the league lead with 31 power play
points and added seven game-winning goals. Serves as an alternate captain on the Raiders and posted two scoring streaks that surpassed 10 games. … Jacome recorded points in 44 of his 53 games this season, never going more than two consecutive
games without at least a single point, while notching multiple points in 26 games and 5 multi-goal outings. Twice this season he was named the OJHL’s South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month. … Was also member of Team OJHL Hawerchuk at the 2016 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge and is committed to join the Clarkson University Golden Knights on scholarship in the fall.
With files from Izak Westgate, Director of Operations (OJHL)
SIJHL: Braeden Allkins – Dryden GM Ice Dogs: The 20-year-old from Golden, B.C., led the SIJHL in both goals and points during the campaign as he notched 53 tallies while chipping in with 44 assists for 97 points overall. … His totals set a new Dryden franchise mark for goals and points in a single season and he also led the way in SIJHL power play markers with 16 and game-winning goals with eight while tying for first in shorthanded efforts with four. … By scoring 53 times it marked the second-highest total in the entire 132-team CJHL in 2016-17. The GM Ice Dogs was also a SIJHL CCM first team all-star.
With files from Natasha Lovenuk Markham, Dryden GM Ice Dogs Communications (SIJHL)
The CJHL would also like to recognize the five honourable mentions for its Top Forward Award:
AJHL: Justin Young – Whitecourt Wolverines
LHJAAAQ: Joël Caron – Inouk du Cégep de Granby
MHL: Kyle Tibbo – Truro Bearcats
NOJHL: Yianni Liarakos – Blind River Beavers
SJHL: Ben Duperrault – Notre Dame Hounds
ABOUT THE CJHL AWARDS VOTING PROCESS
A candidate from each of the 10 leagues that comprise the CJHL was nominated by their respective leagues for each of the six national awards.
The initial stage of the selection process saw representatives from each of the CJHL leagues rank their top five players from among the 10 national nominees.
Rankings were then assigned a point value with the five-highest point-getters, and ties if determined, advancing as finalists to the concluding round of voting.
The five finalists, and ties if determined, for each award come from either the AJHL, BCHL, CCHL, LHJAAAQ, MHL, MJHL, NOJHL, OJHL, SJHL or SIJHL.
The finalists, and ties if determined, for the CJHL player awards will be announced during the week of May 1-5.
That will be followed by the announcements of each of the respective award winners during the period of May 8-12 heading into the RBC Cup Canadian Jr. A Championship, May 13-21, in Cobourg, Ont.
Each of the finalists for the CJHL Coach of the Year will be announced prior to the start of the RBC Cup, with the winner being named during the nine-day event.