Tyler Johnson

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the recipients of four of the league’s annual awards following the conclusion of the 2017-18 regular season. 

Offensively, Ottawa Senators prospect Aaron Luchuk of the Barrie Colts captured the league’s scoring title earning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, while St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou is the recipient of the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy presented to the Top Scoring Right Winger.  The other two awards recognize defensive efforts including the Dave Pinkey Trophy for the goaltending tandem of the team with the fewest goals against won by Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Matthew Villalta and Tyler Johnson, and the F.W “Dinty” Moore Trophy awarded to Jordan Kooy of the London Knights as the rookie with the best goals-against-average. 

Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Scoring Champion): Aaron Luchuk, Barrie Colts 

Aaron Luchuk recorded 50 goals and 65 assists for 115 points in 68 games to lead all OHL players in regular season scoring. 

The 20-year-old from Kingston, Ont., split his season between the Barrie Colts and the Windsor Spitfires where he was originally a fourth round pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection and captured a 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup title.  Since his move to Barrie in December, the overage centre produced 22 goals and 42 assists for 64 points in 38 games as the Colts clinched their third Central Division title in four years.  

Luchuk became the 12th all-time member of the Colts to reach the century mark for points on March 2, and his 50 goals tied for the league lead with teammate Dmitry Sokolov both attaining the milestone mark on March 16 and representing the first pair from the same team to accomplish the feat in the same season since 2005-06 London Knights Rob Schremp and David Bolland. 

Signed to a free agent contract by the Ottawa Senators in December, Luchuk delivered 35 multi-point performances this season, recorded the league’s second longest point-streak at 21 games, and finishes his OHL career with 115 goals and 135 assists for 250 points in 274 regular season games. 

Luchuk becomes the third member of the Colts to win the award following Kevin Labanc in 2015-16 with a club record 127 points in 65 games, and Sheldon Keefe who scored 121 points in 66 games back in the club’s 1999-2000 championship campaign. 

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.  Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters was last year’s recipient with 127 points in 63 games including 65 goals and 62 assists.  Other notable winners include Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin who tied for the league’s scoring title before being chosen first and second overall respectively in 2010, while fellow first overall NHL picks John Tavares (2009), and Patrick Kane (2007) are also recent winners. 

Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger): Jordan Kyrou, Sarnia Sting 

Jordan Kyrou finished third in OHL scoring but led all right wingers with 109 points including 39 goals and 70 assists in just 56 games. 

The 19-year-old from Toronto, Ont., was the league’s first to reach the century mark for points reaching the milestone mark in his 50th game on February 27.  Kyrou also generated 31 multi-point performances and led the league with a 1.95 point-per-game mark.  He helped Canada win gold at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and captained the Sarnia Sting to their best season in franchise history. 

The 19-year-old from Toronto, Ont., has been a four-year member of the Sting where he was originally chosen in the second round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.  He played 250 career regular season games accumulating 290 points including 99 goals and 191 assists.  Kyrou was a second round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft. 

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.  Kyrou becomes Sarnia’s first recipient of the award and follows recent winners that include Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters in 2017, Kevin Labanc of the Barrie Colts in 2016, and Mitch Marner of the London Knights in 2015. 

Dave Pinkney Trophy (Lowest Team Goals Against): Matthew Villalta and Tyler Johnson, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 

The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds allowed the fewest goals in the OHL this season with just 186 against, backstopped by the tandem of Matthew Villalta and Tyler Johnson. 

Villalta, a 19-year-old from Godfey, Ont., led the league with a 2.58 goals-against-average and finished the 2017-18 campaign with a .908 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 appearances.  The Los Angeles Kings prospect selected in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft played to an overall record of 40-5-2-2 tying the franchise single season record for wins.  He joined the Hounds as a free agent commit prior to the 2016-17 season and went on to claim the league’s F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy with a rookie best goals-against-average of 2.41. 

Johnson, a 20-year-old from Amherst, NY., is playing in his second OHL season.  He was originally chosen by the Plymouth Whalers in the seventh round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection, then joined the London Knights for 2016-17.  He was acquired by the Greyhounds in October and during his 20 games with the club posted a 14-1-0-1 record including two shutout victories with a goals-against-average of 2.36 and save percentage of .912. 

The Greyhounds finished the 2017-18 season with a franchise record 55 wins powered by an overall record of 55-7-3-3 for 116 points.  Their season accolades also include a 23-game winning-streak, a run of 29 undefeated games in regulation, and 27 straight victories on home ice. 

This marks the fourth time the Greyhounds have led the league with the fewest goals against with past award recipients including Kyle Gajewski and Bryce O’Hagan (173 GA) in 2007-08, Kevin Hodson (229 GA) in 1991-92 and Mike Lenarduzzi and Kevin Hodson (217 GA) in 1990-91. 

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 Owen Sound Attack’s Michael McNiven and Emanuel Vella allowed 177 goals against to claim the award. 

F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy (Best Rookie GAA): Jordan Kooy, London Knights 

Jordan Kooy posted the best goals-against-average among OHL rookie goaltenders in 2017-18 with a mark of 3.11. 

The 17-year-old from Bradford, Ont., appeared in 24 games for the London Knights and played to a 10-8-0-1 record with a .904 save percentage.  He made 25 saves on March 2 to record his first career OHL shutout by a 3-0 score over the Kingston Frontenacs.  Chosen by the Knights in the eighth round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, Kooy split his time last season between the Knights, the St. Mary’s Lincolns, and the Jr. Knights Midget AAA program. 

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.  Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds won the award last season with a 2.41 goals-against-average, with Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires (2.45 GAA) and Michael McNiven of the Owen Sound Attack (2.79 GAA) winning in 2016 and 2015 respectively. 

Kooy is the fourth Knight to win the award following Ryan MacDonald (2.06 GAA in 2003-04), Sean Basilio (3.65 GAA in 1989-90), and Barry Heard (3.28 GAA in 1976-77).