Monday, March 18, 2013

First Four 2012-13 OHL Award Winners

Press Release

The Ontario Hockey League announced the recipients of four of the league’s annual awards following the conclusion of the 2012-13 regular season.

Two of the individual awards recognize offensive contributions with the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy presented to Top Scorer Vince Trocheck of the Plymouth Whalers, and the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy presented to the Top Scoring Right Winger Seth Griffith of the London Knights.  The other two awards are for defensive efforts including the Dave Pinkney Trophy for the goaltending tandem of the team with the Lowest Goals Against won by Jordan Binnington and Brandon Hope of the Owen Sound Attack, and the F.W “Dinty” Moore Trophy for the Rookie Goalie with the Best Goals-Against-Average won by Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers.

Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Scoring Champion): Vince Trocheck, Plymouth Whalers

Vince Trocheck of the Plymouth Whalers scored 50 goals and 59 assists for 109 points in 63 games this season to win the OHL scoring title.

The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Eddie Powers and was first awarded in 1945-46 to Tod Sloan of St. Michael’s who scored 79 points in 25 games.  Trocheck becomes the first member of the Whalers to win the award outright as former Whaler Tyler Seguin shared the honour with Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires with 106 points each in 2010.  Last season Michael Sgarbossa of the Sudbury Wolves claimed the award with 102 points in 66 games.

Trocheck, a 19-year-old from Pittsburgh, PA, is playing in his fourth OHL season.  He scored 26 goals and 33 assists for 59 points in just 28 games after being acquired by the Whalers and maintained a league-high 21 game point-streak to finish the regular season.  The Florida Panthers prospect was selected in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft and won gold with the United States at the 2013 World Junior Championship.  Trocheck also becomes just the third American to win the award following Patrick Kane (2007) and Rob Schremp (2006) of the London Knights.

Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger): Seth Griffith, London Knights

Seth Griffith of the London Knights claims the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the league’s top scoring right winger with 81 points including 33 goals and 48 assists in 54 games.

The Jim Mahon Trophy was first presented following the 1971-72 season by the players and management of the Peterborough Petes in memory of their right winger Jim Mahon who was accidentally killed that summer.  Griffith becomes the eighth member of the Knights to win the award behind Patrick Kane (2007), David Bolland (2006), Corey Perry (2005, 2004), Maxim Spiridonov (1998), Dino Ciccarelli (1978), and Dennis Ververgaert (1973).

Griffith, a 20-year-old from Wallaceburg, ON, is playing in his fourth OHL season with the Knights.  The Boston Bruins prospect was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Dave Pinkney Trophy (Lowest Team Goals Against): Jordan Binnington / Brandon Hope, Owen Sound Attack

For the first time in franchise history the Owen Sound Attack allowed the fewest goals in the OHL with just 165 against, backstopped by the tandem of Jordan Binnington and Brandon Hope.

The Dave Pinkney Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltending tandem from the team that allows the fewest goals against during the regular season.  Last season, the Niagara IceDogs allowed a league-low 169 goals with Mark Visentin and Christopher Festarini between the pipes.  The 165 goals-against allowed by the Attack is the lowest in the OHL since the 2004-05 season when the London Knights allowed just 125.

Binnington, a 19-year-old Gravenhurst, ON, native is a St. Louis Blues prospect selected in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft.  Playing in his fourth OHL season with the Attack, Binnington set new franchise records this season including single season wins with 32 and career wins with 86.  He finished with the second best goals-against-average in the OHL with a mark of 2.17 while finishing tied for first with seven shutouts.  Hope, a 19-year-old from Canton, MI, is playing in his third OHL season and went 12-6-0-0 with the Attack carrying a goals-against-average of 2.61.

F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy (Best Rookie GAA): Alex Nedeljkovic, Plymouth Whalers

Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers produced the best goals-against-average among OHL rookie goaltenders with a mark of 2.28 this season.

The trophy is named after F.W. “Dinty” Moore of Port Colborne, ON, who served as OHA President from 1942-45.  In order to qualify for this rookie award, a goaltender must play a minimum of 900 minutes.  Nedeljkovic becomes the third Whaler to win the award following Michael Neuvirth (2007) with a mark of 2.32, and Jason Bacashihua (2002) with a mark of 2.34.  Last season Daniel Altshuller of the Oshawa Generals claimed the award with a 3.55 goals-against-average.

Nedeljkovic, a 17-year-old from Parma, OH, was also named OHL Goaltender and Rookie of the Month for February.  Eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft, he finished the season with a 19-2-1-1 record including two shutouts and a save percentage of .923 in 26 appearances.

Voting is currently underway for all remaining individual awards for the 2012-13 season with winners to be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2013 OHL Playoffs begin on Thursday March 21.  Check out www.ontariohockeyleague.com for all first round matchups and schedules.

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

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