Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced finalists for seven annual year-end awards.
Due to the nature of the 2021-22 OHL regular season schedule, a candidate from each conference has emerged as a finalist for each of the different honours, with League-wide award winners to be determined through an additional round of voting and announced throughout the month of May.
Additional honours such as the Humanitarian of the Year Award, the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy, OHL Scholastic Awards as well as OHL All-Star and All-Rookie Teams will also be announced in the coming weeks.
Here’s a look at this year’s finalists:
Most Outstanding Player (Red Tilson Trophy)
The League’s Most Outstanding Player award is voted upon by accredited writers and broadcasters from across the League.
Eastern Conference – Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Big 6-foot-5 winger Brandon Coe led the Central Division champion Battalion with 101 points (34-67–101) this season, joining Wojtek Wolski (2005-06) and Justin Brazeau (2018-19) as just the third player in Battalion franchise history to reach the century mark in points. The San Jose Sharks prospect rounded-out his OHL regular season tenure with 218 points (86-132–218) in 250 regular season games, all spent in Battalion green.
Western Conference – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
The OHL’s leading scorer and Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy recipient, Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires helped his team soar to a West Division title with 124 points (46-78–124) in 68 games. His 124 points are the most by an OHL scoring leader since Erie’s Alex DeBrincat in 2016-17 and are the fifth-highest single season total in Spitfires franchise history. Johnston was a three-time OHL Player of the Month Award recipient this past season. The Dallas Stars first round pick racked up 42 multi-point showings and has collected 58 goals, 96 assists and 154 points through 121 career regular season games with the Spitfires.
Defenceman of the Year (Max Kaminsky Trophy)
The League’s Defenceman of the Year award is voted upon by OHL general managers.
Eastern Conference – Nathan Staios (Hamilton Bulldogs)
The OHL’s top-scoring defenceman, overage Hamilton Bulldogs blueliner Nathan Staios has emerged as the Eastern Conference’s top candidate. The 20-year-old native of Oakville, Ont. registered a franchise record 66 points (15-51–66) in 59 games on the Hamilton blue line, finishing the season with a plus/minus rating of plus-40. Staios also finished third among OHL defenders with 200 shots on goal. Staios wraps up his regular season career as Hamilton’s second-highest scoring blueliner with 107 points (21-86–107) in 119 games as a Bulldog.
Western Conference – Ryan O’Rourke (Soo Greyhounds)
Soo Greyhounds captain Ryan O’Rourke has been voted the top defenceman in the Western Conference, finishing his third OHL season with 46 points (10-36–46) in 51 games. O’Rourke, who was named to Canada’s National Junior Team this past December, set new career-highs across the board and saw big minutes on the Sault Ste. Marie blue line. A second round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2020, O’Rourke helped the Hounds put together the League’s top power play and has 105 points (25-80–105) through 167 career regular season games with the Greyhounds.
Goaltender of the Year (Jim Rutherford Trophy)
The League’s Goaltender of the Year award is voted upon by OHL general managers.
Eastern Conference – Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Leading the OHL in goals-against average (2.32), save percentage (.917) and shutouts (6), Marco Costantini set Hamilton Bulldogs franchise records for the League’s regular season champions. The 19-year-old hometown product won 17 consecutive games to end the season, finishing with a record of 31-9-2-2. Costantini owns a career record of 41-24-8-2 with a 3.15 goals-against average and .897 save percentage over two seasons with the Bulldogs.
Western Conference – Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Canadian National Junior Team netminder and former OHL first all-rookie team member Brett Brochu of the London Knights has been voted the top goaltender in the Western Conference, playing to a mark of 29-11-2-0 with a 2.75 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and two shutouts in the London crease. The 19-year-old from Tilbury, Ont. missed some time due to injury, but rounds out his second OHL season with a career record of 61-17-2-0 with a 2.59 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 85 career regular season outings. Brochu backstopped the Knights to a second straight Midwest Division title.
Rookie of the Year (Emms Family Award)
The League’s Rookie of the Year award is voted upon by OHL general managers.
Eastern Conference – David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Leading all rookies with 33 goals and 73 points, 2022 NHL Draft prospect David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves has emerged as an OHL Rookie of the Year candidate. The 11th overall pick of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection scored three hat tricks over the course of the season, including a four-goal effort on Jan. 14th in Kingston. Goyette, who is currently representing Canada at the IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Germany, was ranked 35th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.
Western Conference – Cam Allen (Guelph Storm)
First-year Guelph Storm blueliner Cam Allen has been voted the top rookie in the Western Conference. A 2005-born talent selected third overall in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Allen collected 37 points (13-24–37) over 65 games on the Storm blue line along with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Allen’s 13 goals are the most by a 16 or 17-year-old rookie defenceman in Storm franchise history. The 5-foot-11, 190Ib. right-shot defender will be eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft.
Overage Player of the Year (Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy)
The League’s Overage Player of the Year award is voted upon by OHL general managers.
Eastern Conference – Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
San Jose Sharks prospect Brandon Coe earns the nod as the Eastern Conference’s top overage player, finishing the season with 101 points (34-67–101) in 62 games for the Central Division champions. A former third overall pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Coe has developed his game in North Bay, ascending to second on the North Bay Battalion career scoring list behind a past Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy recipient in Justin Brazeau. Coe, who played in 17 American Hockey League games last season, signed an entry level NHL contract with San Jose on Dec. 6, 2021.
Western Conference – Tye Kartye (Soo Greyhounds)
Soo Greyhounds winger Tye Kartye is the Western Conference’s top overage player, finishing second in League goal-scoring with 45 tallies on the season. Kartye, who finished the year with 79 points (45-34–79) in 63 games, led all OHL players with 23 power play goals, the most by a Greyhounds player since 1980-81. The soon-to-be 21-year-old from Kingston, Ont. finished tied for the League-lead in game winning goals with nine. He was originally an eighth round pick of the Greyhounds back in 2017. Kartye signed an entry-level NHL contract with the Seattle Kraken on Mar. 1.
Most Sportsmanlike Player (William Hanley Trophy)
The League’s Most Sportsmanlike Player award is voted upon by OHL general managers.
Eastern Conference – Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
Top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs finished his second OHL season with 94 points (32-62–94) and just 22 penalty minutes across 63 games. The 18-year-old centreman and captain of the Frontenacs logged 18 different games with at least three points, giving him 160 points (71-89–160) across two seasons in black and gold. Wright competed in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kitchener and was a part of Canada’s National Junior Team this past January.
Western Conference – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
OHL scoring leader Wyatt Johnston marked up scoresheets to the tune of 124 points (46-78–124) in 68 games, collecting just 26 penalty minutes in the process. The 18-year-old from Toronto, Ont. was dominant in his sophomore campaign, scoring 12 power play goals, three shorthanded goals and seven game winning goals as he was used in all situations by head coach Marc Savard. He joined Sault Ste. Marie’s Rory Kerins and Kingston’s Lucas Edmonds as one of just three players to record at least 30 assists on the power play, and ended the year with the highest points-per-game rate in the OHL at 1.82.
Coach of the Year (Matt Leyden Trophy)
The League’s Coach of the Year award is voted upon by OHL general managers.
Eastern Conference – James Richmond (Mississauga Steelheads)
James Richmond of the Mississauga Steelheads has been voted to top coach in the Eastern Conference, steering the Trout to a 37-23-2-6 finish in the Central Division standings. Mississauga placed fourth in the Eastern Conference, finishing with a new Steelheads record 82 points in the regular season. Mississauga owned the League’s third-ranked penalty kill, surrendering the OHL’s second-lowest total of 189 goals. Wrapping up his fifth season as Steelheads head coach, Richmond has steered the team to 30 wins in four of his five campaigns, winning an Eastern Conference title in 2017.
Western Conference – Ted Dent (Flint Firebirds)
First-year Flint Firebirds head coach Ted Dent has been voted as the best in his class in the Western Conference. A long-time coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs prior to coming to the OHL, Dent led the Firebirds to a record-setting season, achieving new franchise marks for wins (42), points (89) and goals scored (286). The Firebirds were the League’s best road team, playing to a record of 24-7-1-2 away from the Dort Financial Center. They also owned the League’s top penalty kill, one that operated at 84.2 percent efficiency.
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
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