The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) has announced finalists for rookie of the year and top goaltender.
On both lists are Penticton Vees’ Dante Fabbro and Hunter Miska. The selections are based on the individuals’ performance during the regular season.
Fabbro is up for top rookie, which is defined as a player with fewer than 20 games in any junior A or Major Junior league in previous seasons, and must be 18 or younger as of Dec. 31 of the current season.
The CJHL said Fabbro had an amazing season with the Vees and in 44 games collected four goals and 33 points. The 16 year old twice played for Canada, first with Canada Red at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in November and was selected to Team Canada West for the 2014 World Junior A Challenge in December.
Along with Fabbro for rookie of the year is Spruce Grove Saint Brandon Biro, who scored 21 goals and finished with 54 points in 57 Alberta Junior Hockey League games. He led all AJHL rookies in scoring and was second on the Saints. Biro was selected as the Viterra AJHL Player of the Game six times.
Stever Harland of the Powassan Voodoos in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League was in on 44 per cent of the Voodoos 213 goals. The 18-year-old led the league in assists (53) and points (95) and was named a NOJHL first team all-star at right wing.
Karl Malette of the Saint-Jérôme Panthères in the Quebec Junior Hockey League led all QJHL rookies in scoring with 26 goals, 40 assists and 66 points in 52 games. He finished third on his team in scoring. Karl was also selected on the QJHL rookie All-Star team.
Cameron Morrison of the Aurora Tigers in the Ontario Junior Hockey league put up 31 goals and 53 points in 49 games. The 16-year-old used his six-foot-three size to dominate. While missing time in early November with appendicitis, Morrison’s 31 goals were sixth best in the OJHL, while his 53 points placed him fourth in scoring on the club during the regular season.
Miska won 34 games for the Vees with a 1.88 goals against average and .922 save percentage and five shutouts. He led the BCHL in most goaltending categories including save percentage and goals-against average and tied for the lead in wins and shutouts. He was the CJHL first star of the month in October after posting a 9-0 mark and 1.08 goals-against average. He took the BCHL Top Goaltender award and shared the Top Goalie Tandem award with Brendan Barry.
Miska is up against a former Vee in Nic Renyard of the Okotoks Oilers in the AJHL. Renyard won 30 of his 43 games and posted a 2.19 GAA and .924 save percentage with five shutouts. He was named the AJHL Most Valuable Player and Top Goaltender. The 20 year old led all AJHL goaltenders in wins and save percentage. Renyard set a new franchise record for most shutouts and set the single season franchise record for lowest goals against average as well. The Victoria product joined the Oilers from the BCHL in September 2014 and started the season by recording 13 games without a regulation loss (12-0-1). Renyard was named the Viterra AJHL Player of the Game five times, and was also named as the Alberta Dodge Dealers AJHL Player of the Month in October 2014 when he posted a 8-0 record. Renyard has committed to the University of Massachusetts Minutemen of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I Hockey East Conference.
Guillaume Therien of the Carleton Place Canadians won 29 games to lead the Central Canadian Hockey League, was named top goaltender at the Fred Page Cup and led the Canadians to the Championship game of the RBC Cup. Therien has continued his stellar play and has been rewarded by being named the CCHL’s Goalie of the Year. Statistically he has taken his game to a new level. He led all CCHL starters with a 2.08 GAA and a stellar save percentage of .924. He has just three losses to go with four shutouts.
Evan Weninger of the Kindersley Klippers carved out a decent chunk of playing time as a 17-year-old rookie and now is considered one of the best 18-year-old junior A goalies in the country. Weninger, who also earned a spot on the Canada West roster for the World Junior A Challenge, paced the Klippers with a 27-10-and-2 record to go with a 2.06-GAA and an SJHL league leading .942-SPCT. His GAA ranked second in the league and he was third in wins despite missing a month while playing for Canada West.
The CJHL awards also include most valuable player, top forward, top defenceman. Winners will be named May 4-8.
