Thursday, March 22, 2012

SHORE NAMED ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) today announced that Devin Shore (photo credit - TBSG Images) of the Whitby Fury has been named the recipient of the OJHL Rookie-of-the-Year Award.

The 17-year old rookie forward took the OJHL by storm this season, leading the Whitby Fury with 29 goals, while finishing second on the club in scoring with 58 points, all this despite missing numerous games while attending the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Already one of the keys to the club’s special teams units, Devin Shore was a dominant force throughout his first junior hockey season, making an immediate impact by starting the season with a six game point scoring streak that included five goals and ten points.

The 6’0”, 186 lbs. native of Ajax, Ontario joined the Fury this season after playing for The Hill Academy in Vaughan. Shore chose to commit to the University of Maine Black Bears (2013) NCAA Division I program prior to being selected in the 4th round of the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, 69th overall, by the Barrie Colts, paving his way to make the jump to the OJHL.

Shore has more than lived up to expectations this season with totals of 29 goals and 58 points, placing him 12th and 24th overall respectively among all OJHL players and also played significant minutes on both the power play and penalty kill. He led the Fury with nine power player goals, while also notching 17 power play assists, tied for the sixth best total in the league, to propel the league’s eighth best power play unit at 20.47%. Shore was also an important cog on the penalty kill, notching two shorthanded goals, helping the OJHL’s fourth best unit to an 85.86% ranking. Shore’s season included 17 multi-point games and a 14 game point scoring streak from December 18 to February 3 that helped him win OJHL South-East Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month honours for January.

Other highlights of Shore’s impressive rookie campaign include a dominant performance at the 2011 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge in Langley, B.C. as a member of Team Canada East, where he would record a tournament leading six points in four games played to earn Most Valuable Player honours during a silver medal performance. Shore was also a member of the OJHL East Division All-Stars that competed at the inaugural Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that was held in Smiths Falls, Ontario and was named an OJHL 2nd Team All-Star, as well as 1st Team All-Rookie, the only OJHL player named to both squads. All season long, he has been closely followed by NHL Central Scouting, steadily moving up the draft rankings and most recently he was ranked in the 3rd round of their mid-term rankings, 75th overall, among North American Skaters.

The OJHL Rookie-of-the-Year Award is awarded annually to the player adjudged to be the most proficient in
his first year of competition playing in the OJHL throughout the regular season.

Michael Giugovaz of the Georgetown Raiders has been named runner-up in the OJHL award balloting to Shore. The 16-year old joined the Raiders after signing with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes during training camp and would finish the season with a 21-5-0 record, including a .919 save percentage and the OJHL’s third best goals against average at 2.12.

The first-ever OJHL Top Prospect Award and the OJHL Most Valuable Player recipients will be announced next week.

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

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