Shawinigan,
QC - The Canadian Hockey
League announced the ten
national award winners for
the 2011-12 season including
Brendan Shinnimin of the
Tri-City Americans who
earned both the Chrysler Top
Scorer and CCM Player of the
Year Award. Shinnimin is the
first player since Alexander
Radulov in 2005-06 and
Sidney Crosby in 2004-05 to
win both major awards in the
same season.
Winners
were presented with their
awards at Centre des Arts in
Shawinigan as part of the
2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup
festivities.
2011-12 CHL Award Winners:
Jack Link’s Top Prospect of
the Year – Nail Yakupov
(Sarnia Sting):
One year after claiming BMO
CHL Rookie of the Year
honours, Nail Yakupov is the
Jack Link’s Top Prospect of
the Year ranked first
overall by NHL Central
Scouting in their final
rankings for the 2012 NHL
Entry Draft. The 18-year-old
Russian scored 31 goals and
38 assists for 69 points in
42 games and represented his
home country earning silver
at the World Junior
Championship. Yakupov looks
to become the sixth straight
CHL player to be selected
first overall in June’s
draft. Also considered for
the award was Mikhail
Grigorenko of the Quebec
Remparts and Ryan Murray of
the Everett Silvertips.
FRAM Sportsman of the Year –
Mark Stone (Brandon Wheat
Kings):
The 19-year-old from
Winnipeg, MB, Mark Stone
netted finished second in
WHL scoring with a
career-high 41 goals and 82
assists for 123 points this
season while drawing just 22
minutes in penalties in 66
games. Stone, an Ottawa
Senators prospect, drew
minor penalties in just 10
of the 66 games he played
and picked up more than one
minor infraction in a single
game just once all season,
despite playing heavy
minutes for the Wheat Kings.
Also considered for the
award was Zach O’Brien of
the Acadie-Bathurst Titan,
and Brandon Saad of the
Saginaw Spirit.
Dodge Top Scorer of the Year
– Brendan Shinnimin
(Tri-City Americans):
Brendan Shinnimin finished
the 2011-12 regular season
with a CHL-leading 134
points on 58 goals and 76
assists. The 21-year-old
Phoenix Coyotes prospect
from Winnipeg, MB,
accumulated the most points
in a WHL regular season
since the 1998-99 campaign.
Shinnimin recorded points in
60 of the 69 games he played
this season, and finished
the season on a 23-game
point streak. Also
considered for the award was
Yanni Gourde of the
Victoriaville Tigres, and
Michael Sgarbossa of the
Sudbury Wolves.
Home Hardware Humanitarian
Player of the Year – Vincent
Barnard (Quebec Remparts):
Vincent Barnard, a
21-year-old from Sept-Iles,
QC, was involved in his
community from the beginning
of his junior career,
however he outdid himself
this year participating in a
variety of community
initiatives in the city
where he played the final
two of his four-year QMJHL
career. Also considered for
the award was Andrew
D’Agostini of the
Peterborough Petes, and
Taylor Vause of the Swift
Current Broncos.
Subway Scholastic Player of
the Year – Jonathan Brunelle
(Cape Breton Screaming
Eagles):
On top of
maintaining an exemplary
academic file, Jonathan
Brunelle, a 20-year-old from
Boisbriand, QC, is also a
role model for his teammates
just as much off as on the
ice. His perseverance in
class has caught the
attention and praise of his
teachers while still
producing on the ice with 85
points in 68 games. Also
considered for the award was
Adam Pelech of the Erie
Otters, and Reid Gow of the
Spokane Chiefs.
Old Dutch Brian Kilrea Coach
of the Year – Jim Hiller
(Tri-City Americans):
In his third season as head
coach of the Tri-City
Americans, Jim Hiller guided
the Ams to yet another
outstanding regular-season
campaign. Under Hiller, the
Ams posted a 50-18-2-2
record for 104 points to
capture their fourth U.S.
Division title in five
seasons and finish with the
best record in the WHL
Western Conference. Hiller’s
Americans boasted the WHL’s
fourth-ranked offense and
the top-ranked defense, and
scored 91 more goals than
they allowed this season.
Also considered for the
award was Jean-Francois
Houle of the
Blainville-Boisbriand
Armada, and Greg Gilbert of
the Saginaw Spirit.
BMO Rookie of the Year –
Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec
Remparts):
Mikhail
Grigorenko captures the
first-year honour thanks to
his remarkable season
recording 40 goals and 45
assists in 59 games for the
Quebec Remparts, leading
them to 43 wins and 93
points. The 18-year-old
Russian native is also
eligible for the 2012 NHL
Entry Draft. Also considered
for the award was Aaron
Ekblad of the Barrie Colts,
and Sam Reinhart of the
Kootenay Ice.
Vaughn Goaltender of the
Year – Michael Houser
(London Knights):
Michael Houser posted a
46-15-0-1 record
backstopping the Knights to
their fifth Hamilton
Spectator Trophy as the
OHL’s top regular season
team, and tied an OHL single
season record for most wins
by a goaltender. The
19-year-old from Wexford,
PA, had a
goals-against-average of
2.47 and save percentage of
.925 recording six shutouts.
Also considered for the
award was Mathieu Corbeil of
the Saint John Sea Dogs, and
Tyler Bunz of the Medicine
Hat Tigers.
Post Foods Canada Defenceman
of the Year – Dougie
Hamilton (Niagara IceDogs):
Dougie Hamilton led
all OHL defencemen in
scoring with 72 points in
just 50 games and tied for
third in the league with a
plus-minus rating of
plus-37. He scored 17 goals
with 55 assists including 30
assists recorded on the
power play. An 18-year-old
from Toronto, ON, Hamilton
was selected by the Boston
Bruins with the ninth
overall pick in the 2011 NHL
Entry Draft. Also considered
for the award was Jerome
Gauthier-Leduc of the
Rimouski Oceanic, and Alex
Petrovic of the Red Deer
Rebels.
CCM Player of the Year –
Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City
Americans):
Brendan
Shinnimin, a Winnipeg, MB,
native, enjoyed an excellent
season for the Americans,
recording 58 goals and 76
assists for 134 points along
with a +45 rating in 69
games leading the CHL in
scoring while helping the
Ams win the WHL’s U.S.
Division and Western
Conference regular-season
titles. The 5’10”, 175-lb
pivot finished second among
all WHL players with 58
goals and third among WHL
players with 76 assists.
Additionally, Shinnimin
finished with 21 power play
markers and second with
seven shorthanded tallies.
The 21-year-old overage
player signed an entry-level
contract with the Phoenix
Coyotes late in the season.
Also considered for the
award was Yanni Gourde of
the Victoriaville Tigres,
and Michael Houser of the
London Knights.