Wednesday, February 27, 2013

OJHL ALL-STAR TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced the OJHL First and Second All-Star Teams, as selected by the OJHL General Managers.

1st Team All-Star
G – Charlie Finn (Kingston Voyageurs)
D – Erlich Doerksen (Trenton Golden Hawks)
D – Patrick McCarron (St. Michael's Buzzers)
F – Shane Bennett (Milton Icehawks)
F – John Carpino (North York Rangers)
F – Tyler Gjurich (Buffalo Jr. Sabres)

2nd Team All-Star
G – Joseph Pianta (Toronto Lakeshore Patriots)
D – Alex D'Oliveira (Toronto Lakeshore Patriots)
D – Patrick Piacentini (North York Rangers)
F – Justin Danforth (Cobourg Cougars)
F – Corey Kalk (North York Rangers)
F – Jonah Renouf (Oakville Blades)

Goaltender – Charlie Finn (Kingston Voyageurs)
(pictured top left - photo credit - Brian Watts/OJHL Images)
Recently awarded his second OJHL Top Goaltender Award for leading all netminders with a 2.15 goals against average, Charlie Finn of the Kingston Voyageurs was instrumental in the club's second half surge that saw them break into the CJHL's Top 20 rankings after going 17-2 from mid-December until the end of the season.  The North Vancouver, B.C. native also led all goaltenders with a .941 save percentage and eight shutouts, while finishing fourth in wins with a 25-10-4 record in 39 games played.  Previously named a 1st Team All-Prospect for the South-East Conference in 2010-11, Finn would be named the Gongshow Gear Goaltender-of-the-Month for January, as well as the runner-up in November, and was the starting goalie for Team Canada East at the 2012 World Junior 'A' Challenge held in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  He would also be selected to play for the OJHL East Division All-Stars at the 2012 Central Canada Cup, but would miss the event, and is committed to join the Colgate University Raiders beginning next season.

Defence – Erlich Doerksen (Trenton Golden Hawks)
(pictured top middle - photo credit - Shawn Muir/OJHL Images)
Joining the Trenton Golden Hawks this season from the St. Michael's Buzzers, Erlich Doerksen solidified the club's blueline and would not only finish fifth on the Hawks in scoring with 44 points in 54 games played, but also third overall among defencemen in the OJHL.  A key member of Trenton's power play unit, the Toronto, Ontario native would lead all rearguards with 14 goals, as well as four game-winners.  Doerksen would be named to the OJHL East Division All-Star Team, but would miss competing in his second consecutive Central Canada Cup event.  The five-year OJHL veteran will be joining the Sacred Heart University Crusaders beginning next season.

Defence – Patrick McCarron (St. Michael's Buzzers)
(pictured top right - photo credit - Mike Ivall/OJHL Images)
St. Michael's Buzzers captain Patrick McCarron was a leader both on-and-off the ice for his club and would lead the scoring race among OJHL defencemen for most of the season, despite missing three games while serving as an alternate captain for Team Canada East at the 2012 World Junior 'A' Challenge.  The lanky rearguard's 58 points, second on the Buzzers scoring chart, included 49 assists, which was more than any other OJHL defencemen had points and ranked fourth league-wide among all players.  Critical to the success of the league's sixth best power play unit, McCarron would factor in on 31 of the club's 53 power play goals, while leading the entire OJHL with 27 power play assists.  Named the South-West Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month for October, the only defenceman in the OJHL to win a monthly award this season, he is scheduled to join the Cornell University Big Red next season.

Forward – Shane Bennett (Milton Icehawks)
(pictured bottom left - photo credit - Jennifer-Rose DeVincentis/OJHL Images)
A native of Grand Island, New York, Shane Bennett was consistently one of the top scorers in the OJHL this past season, finishing second in the scoring race with 45 goals, accounting for more than 21% of the Icehawks total goals scored this year.  Bennett's totals also included a team high 42 assists and 87 points, which ranked him third in the OJHL scoring race, as well as 13 power play goals, tied for the second best total in the entire league.  The 5'9", 155 lbs. forward would be named to the OJHL West Division All-Star Team for the second consecutive year, but would fail to record a point in three games played at the 2012 Central Canada Cup held in Wellington, Ontario.

Forward – John Carpino (North York Rangers)
(pictured bottom middle - photo credit - Tim Bates/OJHL Images)
John Carpino of the North York Rangers had one of the biggest offensive production increases from last season after joining the club from the now-defunct Vaughan Vipers.  The 18-year old would record 28 more goals to finish third in the OJHL with 42 goals, as well as 50 more points to finish fourth in league scoring with 81 points in 54 games played.  The runner-up as South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month in November, he helped lead the franchise to their best finish since Junior 'A' hockey returned to the Greater Toronto Area in the early 1990's.  Carpino was also selected as a member of the OJHL South Division All-Star Team, tying for the team lead in scoring with four points in three games played at the 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, and is committed to join the Western Michigan University Broncos beginning in 2014-15.

Forward – Tyler Gjurich (Buffalo Jr. Sabres)
(pictured bottom right - photo credit - Graeme Reid/OJHL Images)
Leading the OJHL scoring race for much of the regular season, Tyler Gjurich would become the first member of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres to lead the league in scoring since Jeff Farkas led the Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League as a member of the Niagara Scenic in 1995-96.  The 20-year old rookie forward was the only OJHL player to hit the magical 50 goal plateau this season, finishing the year with 53 goals, as well as 97 points, including nine game-winning goals that also ranked second among all players.  Named the South-West Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month for November, the Hatfield, Pennsylvania native was selected to play for the OJHL West Division All-Star Team, recording two points in three games at the 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.  Gjurich recently confirmed his commitment to join the University of Maine Black Bears in the Fall.

2nd Team All-Stars
Toronto Lakeshore Patriots goaltender Joseph Pianta is a native of Woodbridge, Ontario.  He posted a 22-7-4 record with four shutouts and the second best goals against average in the OJHL at 2.18, while also being named to the South Division All-Star Team at the 2012 Central Canada Cup.

Toronto Lakeshore Patriots defenceman Alex D'Oliveira is a native of Georgetown, Ontario.  He finished second in scoring among all OJHL defencemen with 40 assists and 47 points and was a member of the South Division All-Star Team at the 2012 Central Canada Cup.

North York Rangers defenceman Patrick Piacentini is a native of Vaughan, Ontario.  He finished tied for fourth in scoring among OJHL defencemen with 43 points and second with 22 power play assists.  Piacentini was a member of the South Division All-Star Team at the 2012 Central Canada Cup and is committed to Mercyhurst for 2014.

Cobourg Cougars forward Justin Danforth is a native of Oshawa, Ontario.  He led the Cougars in scoring with 56 points, was a member of Team Canada East for the second consecutive year and was named MVP of the 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge as a member of the East Division All-Star Team.  Danforth is committed to the Sacred Heart University Pioneers for next season.

North York Rangers forward Corey Kalk is a native of Thornhill, Ontario.  He was the South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month for December and finished sixth in the OJHL scoring with 78 points, while also leading the South Division All-Star Team in scoring at the 2012 Central Canada Cup.  Kalk is committed to the Dartmouth College Big Green for 2015.

Oakville Blades forward Jonah Renouf is a native of Mississauga, Ontario.  He led the OJHL with 65 assists and finished second in scoring with 94 points, while also playing for the South Division All-Star Team at the 2012 Central Canada Cup.  Renouf is committed to join the Quinnipiac University Bobcats beginning next season.

The Ontario Junior Hockey League will begin announcing its OJHL year-end award winners next week.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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