SASKATOON (CIS) – Liam Heelis, a third-year forward from Acadia University, was named the CIS player of the year in men's hockey, Wednesday night.
The Georgetown, Ont., native became the second Axemen player in three seasons and the fourth in program history to claim the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy. He follows in the footsteps of forwards Andrew Clark (2012), Kevin Baker (2006) and Duane Dennis (1994).
Other winners announced during the SaskTel All-Canadian Presentation at TCU Place in Saskatoon were McGill rearguard Ryan McKiernan, who was named CIS defenceman of the year; Calgary netminder Jacob DeSerres, selected as the country's best goaltender; Queen's goalie Kevin Bailie, who received the Clare Drake Award as rookie of the year; UNB forward Chris Culligan, who claimed the R.W. Pugh Award as the nation's most sportsmanlike player; Queen's head coach Brett Gibson, who captured the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award; and Alberta forward Ben Lindemulder, who merited the Dr. Randy Gregg Award recognizing his excellence in hockey, academics and community involvement.
The PotashCorp University Cup presented by Co-op gets under way on Thursday at the Credit Union Centre and culminates Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Local Time (3:30 p.m. Eastern) with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet.
Sportsnet also has live coverage of the last two contests of the preliminary round, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., on Sportsnet 360. All seven games from the six-team tournament will also be webcast live on www.CIS-SIC.tv.
UNIVERSITY CUP WEBSITE: www.universitycup.ca
SENATOR JOSEPH A. SULLIVAN TROPHY (player of the year): Liam Heelis, Acadia
Heelis is the third straight AUS player – and sixth in the past seven years - to win the Sullivan Trophy. Saint Mary's forward Lucas Bloodoff was the recipient last season.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound sniper exploded in his third university season as he won the AUS scoring title with 42 points, including a CIS-leading 24 goals, in only 26 league games, a significant improvement from his 10-12-22 mark as a sophomore a year ago. A terrific special teams player, he tied for the CIS lead with four short-handed markers and was second in the Atlantic conference with seven power play goals. He also potted three game-winners and ranked second in the Maritimes with 117 shots.
Thanks in large part to his stellar play, the Axemen took second place in the ultra-competitive AUS conference with a 21-4-3 record and were ranked in the top five nationally for most of the season.
A former OHL player with Owen Sound and Peterborough, Heelis has now accumulated 86 career points in 81 regular season games with the Axemen. Last December, the arts major played an integral part as a team of AUS standouts claimed gold for Canada at the FISU Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy.
"We are extremely proud of Liam's accomplishments, not only on the ice this year, but as a leader in the community at Acadia," said Axemen head coach Darren Burns. "His determination, leadership and commitment as a person showed every day in practice and in games, enabling him to be a very dominant player for our team this year. I would be hard pressed to say that I have witnessed a player improve as much as Liam has in the AUS. His outstanding season was no doubt instrumental in our team's success."
The other finalists for the Sullivan Trophy were forwards Zach Harnden of Western and Derek Hulak of Saskatchewan.
R.W. PUGH AWARD (most sportsmanlike player): Chris Culligan, UNB
A two-time winner of the AUS most sportsmanlike player and recipient of the Don Wells Trophy, Culligan is the first UNB Varsity Red to win the distinction at the CIS level.
A second-year team captain, the Howie Centre, N.S., native tied for 10th in the country with 17 goals and ranked 11th with 40 points in his fifth and final campaign with the V-Reds, while receiving only 16 penalty minutes in 28 games. His +21 rating was also the second best in the Atlantic conference
UNB's third all-time leading scorer with 171 career points in 133 regular season contest, the two-time University Cup champion captained Canada to gold at the Winter Universiade last December in Italy, where a team of AUS all-stars wore the Maple Leaf. Culligan joined the V-Reds in 2009-10 after a five-year QMJHL career with Cape Breton.
"Chris has been a terrific leader and sportsman during his five years at UNB," said Varsity Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. "He is the ultimate competitor and plays the game the right way on a consistent basis. He helped lead our team to a seventh straight first-place finish in the AUS and had a career-best season in helping achieve this feat."
Forwards Steven Reese of Western and Sean Ringrose of Alberta were also up for the Pugh Award.
ALL-CANADIAN TEAMS
The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.
Joining Heelis, McKiernan and DeSerres on the first squad were Alberta defenceman Jordan Rowley and forwards Derek Hulak of Saskatchewan and Zach Harnden of Western.
Hulak, who finished first in Canada West and second in the CIS scoring race in league play with a 13-35-48 mark, was also a first-team all-Canadian back in 2011-12. Harnden, the CIS rookie of the year in '11-12, was ninth in the nation with an 18-23-41 dossier.
In addition to Culligan, the second dream unit for the season is comprised of Acadia goalie Evan Mosher, UPEI's Reginaldo Traccitto and Guelph's Kenneth Peroff on the blue line, as well as forwards James Wise of Ryerson and Sean Ringrose of Alberta.
Joining Bailie on the CIS all-rookie squad were UNB's Jordan Murray and Calgary's Dryden Dow on defence, as well as UNB's Philippe Maillet, Calgary's Christopher Collins and Ryerson's Domenic Alberga on offence.
2013-2014 CIS MEN'S HOCKEY AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS
Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy (player of the year): Liam Heelis, Acadia
Defenceman of the year: Ryan McKiernan, McGill
Goaltender of the year: Jacob DeSerres, Calgary
Clare Drake Award (rookie of the year): Kevin Bailie, Queen's
R.W. Pugh Award (most sportsmanlike player): Chris Culligan, UNB
Father George Kehoe Memorial Award (coach of the year): Brett Gibson, Queen's
Dr. Randy Gregg Award (hockey, academics & community service): Ben Lindemulder, Alberta
First Team All-Stars
G - Jacon DeSerres, Calgary (3rd year - Calgary, Alta.)
D - Ryan McKiernan, McGill (4th year - White Plains, NY)
D - Jordan Rowley, Alberta (3rd year - Edmonton, Alta.)
F - Liam Heelis, Acadia (3rd year - Georgetown, Ont.)
F - Derek Hulak, Saskatchewan (4th year - Saskatoon, Sask.)
F - Zach Harnden, Western (3rd year - Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Second Team
G - Evan Mosher, Acadia (3rd year - Conception Bay South, Nfld.)
D - Reginaldo Traccitto, UPEI (4th year - Oakville, Ont.)
D - Kenneth Peroff, Guelph (4th year - Astorville, Ont.)
F - Chris Culligan, UNB (5th year - Howie Centre, N.S.)
F - James Wise, Ryerson (2nd year - Stouffville, Ont.)
F - Sean Ringrose, Alberta (5th year - Edmonton, Alta.)
All-Rookie Team
G - Kevin Bailie, Queen's (Belleville, Ont.)
D - Jordan Murray, UNB (Riverview, N.B.)
D - Dryden Dow, Calgary (Calgary, Alta.)
F - Philippe Maillet, UNB (Terrebonne, Que.)
F - Christopher Collins, Calgary (Calgary, Alta.)
F - Domenic Alberga, Ryerson (Maple, Ont.)
View the full CIS release here.
Visit the CIS championship website here.
Source: CIS Communications