Thursday, February 16, 2012

OJHL ALL-STAR TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced the OJHL First and Second All-Star Teams for the 2011-12 regular season.


1st Team All-Star
G – Matthew Wintjes (Newmarket Hurricanes)
D – Paul Geiger (Stouffville Spirit)
D – Elliott Richardson (Wellington Dukes)
F – Christian Finch (Stouffville Spirit)
F – Darcy Murphy (Wellington Dukes)
F – Andrew Radjenovic (Markham Waxers/Hamilton Red Wings)

2nd Team All-Star
G – Adrian Ignagni (St. Michael’s Buzzers)
D – Kent McPherson (Trenton Golden Hawks)
D – Anthony Mastrodicasa (Vaughan Vipers)
F – Morgan Bonner (Newmarket Hurricanes)
F – Chris Porter (Stouffville Spirit)
F – Devin Shore (Whitby Fury)


Goaltender – Matthew Wintjes (Newmarket Hurricanes)
Last year’s North-West Conference 1st Team All-Prospect netminder, Matthew Wintjes continued his progression this season by becoming an OJHL 1st Team All-Star. The Holland Landing, Ontario native was instrumental in helping the Hurricanes tie for top spot in the OJHL, ultimately finishing in 2nd place with a 37-7-5 record. Wintjes totals include the league’s second best goals against average of 2.09, bettering last season’s average by 0.23, as well as the second best shutout total with four. His overall record was 21-3-1, the fourth best win total in the OJHL, with a .914 save percentage.

Defence – Paul Geiger (Stouffville Spirit)
Paul Geiger’s third OJHL season, and second with the Stouffville Spirit, would see him as their undisputed leader from the point, putting up numbers that would place him among the league’s top point producers. Playing with his hometown club, Geiger would record 13 goals, third best among defencemen, as well as 41 assists and 54 points, both second best among rearguards. The 41 assists was also tied for the fifth best total among all OJHL players, while 25 of the helpers came on the power play, the league’s third best total. Other accomplishments throughout the season include winning a silver medal at the 2011 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge with Team Canada East, finishing as runner-up at the 2011 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge with the North Division and confirming an NCAA Division I scholarship to attend Clarkson University.

Defence – Elliott Richardson (Wellington Dukes)
(pictured - photo credit: Brian Watts/OJHL)
The fifth year defenceman was one of the Wellington Dukes leaders from start to finish this season, not only leading his club in many statistical categories, but the entire league as well. Richardson would top all OJHL defencemen with 50 assists, 32 power play assists and 57 points. A power play specialist and one of the league’s best playmakers, Richardson’s 50 assists ranked third best among all OJHL players and his 32 power play assist ranked him number one among defencemen and forwards. Despite only notching seven goals, three were game-winners, helping the Dukes set a new league record for consecutive 30+ win seasons. The Hanmer, Ontario native was also selected as a member of the East Division All-Stars that participated in the inaugural Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.

Forward – Christian Finch (Stouffville Spirit)
The former defenceman took his offensive game to an entirely new level this season, becoming the only player to reach the 100 point milestone, finishing with 104 points, during the 2011-12 OJHL season, while being named the North-West Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month in two consecutive months. The consummate playmaker, Finch led the entire OJHL with both 67 assists and 104 points, while finishing second best with 30 power play assists. A native of Unionville, Ontario, he also showed a goal scorers touch, finishing third overall in the league after putting the puck in the net 37 times this past season. Finch will join Stouffville Spirit teammate and fellow 1st Team All-Star Paul Geiger at Clarkson University next season, having already accepted a DI scholarship and was a key member of the North Division All-Stars as they finished as runner-up to Quebec at the inaugural Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.

Forward – Darcy Murphy (Wellington Dukes)
After doubling his goal output last season from his rookie year, Wellington Dukes sniper Darcy Murphy more than tripled his goal total this season to lead the entire OJHL and was the league’s only 50 goal man this past season, finishing the year with 52 goals. The October OJHL South-East Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month was a key component of the league’s fourth best power play unit (23.95%), notching 16 power play goals, second best in the league and nearly a quarter of the Dukes total power play goals. Along with a league best eight game-winners, the Marysville, Ontario native finished second in league-scoring with 86 total points. Not only would Murphy join teammate Elliott Richardson as a 1st Team All-Star, but both were members of the East Division All-Stars at the Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.

Forward – Andrew Radjenovic (Markham Waxers/Hamilton Red Wings)
Andrew Radjenovic had a quick start to the season, taking home September North-West Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month honours as member of the Hamilton Red Wings. After being named captain of the Red Wings, Radjenovic would post 59 points in 33 games played with the club, before he was moved to the Markham Waxers just prior to the trade deadline, totals that remained the best on the Wings at the end of the season. The Hamilton, Ontario native would continue his high-scoring ways on a much deeper Waxers squad, finishing the season with 35 goals, fifth best in the OJHL, and 75 points, fourth best among all scorers. Radjenovic would also play for the West Division All-Stars during the inaugural Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.


2nd Team All-Stars
St. Michael’s Buzzers goaltender Adrian Ignagni is a native of Mississauga, Ontario. He posted a 32-6-4 record with two shutouts, while playing the most games (42) and most minutes (2,495:41) of any OJHL netminder.

Trenton Golden Hawks defenceman Kent McPherson is a native of Stratford, Ontario. He led all OJHL defencemen with 18 goals and finished fourth in overall scoring with 40 points.

Vaughan Vipers defenceman Anthony Mastrodicasa is a native of Vaughan, Ontario. Last season’s OJHL Top Defenceman finished ninth in scoring among rearguards with 35 points and he is committed to Mercyhurst for 2012.

Newmarket Hurricanes forward Morgan Bonner is a native of Aurora, Ontario. He would finish fourth in goal scoring with 36 goals, while leading the entire OJHL with seven shorthanded goals.

Stouffville Spirit forward Chris Porter is a native of Stouffville, Ontario. He would finish second in goal scoring with 39 goals and third in overall scoring with 80 points, while leading the entire OJHL with 17 power play markers.

Whitby Fury forward Devin Shore is a native of Ajax, Ontario. The only player to be named both an All-Star and All-Prospect, he finished the season with 29 goals and 58 points, was MVP of the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge and is committed to Maine for 2013.

Next week the first-ever Volunteer-of-the-Year and Humanitarian-of-the-Year will be announced.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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