Terry the Renaud Captain's Trophy

Press Release

Windsor, ON – The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Windsor Spitfires hockey club held a media conference today to announce that Plymouth Whalers’ Captain Chris Terry is the first recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy.

Terry, a 20-year-old forward from Brampton, Ontario, was chosen by a selection committee as the team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey and his community that Mickey demonstrated. The selection committee consisted of a media panel of four, representing each of the four OHL divisions.

“I am very proud to announce Chris Terry as the first recipient of this prestigious award,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “His leadership abilities on the ice and commitment to community service are exactly the qualities that this award was meant to recognize in honour of Mickey.”

Terry served his first full season as Captain of the Whalers after playing as an alternate captain last season. He was a team leader on the ice finishing second in league scoring with 94 points including 39 goals and 55 assists in 53 games. He recorded 27 multi-point games including a five-point game March 1 with one goal and five assists as first star in the 6-3 win over the Erie Otters. He was named a Western Conference All-Star and served as an alternate captain at the 2009 Subway OHL All-Star Classic in Windsor. He was named the Kal Tire OHL Player of the Month for both December and February, and was also named the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 29. A Carolina Hurricanes prospect selected in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Terry was also named a third team OHL All-Star at center for the 2008-09 season and ranks third amongst the all-time Plymouth Whalers scoring leaders with 114 goals and 175 assists for 289 points in 253 career games.

Terry was also an exceptional leader off the ice and in the community and was recognized as the league’s recipient of the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s Humanitarian of the Year for the 2008-09 season. He led the Whalers by participating in an average of more than two community appearances per week and was highly active in Learn to Skate classes and as an instructor for team skills clinics. Terry was the most requested player for community events and enjoyed visiting schools and reading to kids. In the classroom, Terry maintained an 83% University average this season. Last season, Terry organized his team and together they attended the funeral service of Mickey Renaud.

“We are very pleased and honoured that this award was created in Mickey’s name” said Mark Renaud. “Mickey was a quality person and we are grateful that so many of his attributes are captured in this award. We are also very pleased that Chris Terry is the first recipient since he is such a terrific hockey player and a very special person. He is certainly a fine leader and a great captain” added Renaud.

The selection committee reviewed nomination forms submitted by the General Managers of all 20 member clubs on behalf of their individual team captains. The panel discussed the contents of the submissions which described the characteristics of each captain both on and off the ice which demonstrate his strengths and commitment as a leader. Dedication to work in the community, as well as special team and league achievements and awards received through hockey, education, and community service were also considered.

Terry will be formally presented with the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy at the 2008-09 OHL Awards Ceremony on Wednesday June 3rd at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)