HALIFAX (U SPORTS) Saint Mary's forward Mitchell Balmas captured the Clare Drake Award as U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and Acadia defenceman Liam Maaskant earned the Dr. Randy Gregg Award for Student-Athlete Community Service Wednesday night, as the national award winners were celebrated at the annual All-Canadian gala.
Saskatchewan netminder Taran Kozun was honoured with the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as U SPORTS men's hockey Player of the Year.
For the complete U SPORTS release, please click here.
Kozun also took home the Goaltender of the Year honour, while McGill blueliner Nikolas Brouillard was named Defencemen of the Year. In addition, Saskatchewan forward Levi Cable was named the winner of the R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award as most sportsmanlike player.
Finally, Toronto bench boss Ryan Medel is the winner of Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as Fox 40 Coach of the Year.
As the Exclusive Provider of championship rings and recognition jewelry of U SPORTS, Baron will provide customized rings to the First Team All-Canadians in football, basketball and hockey, as well as other major award winners.
The puck drops on 2020 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup – hosted jointly by the Acadia Axemen and Sports & Entertainment Atlantic (S|E|A) – on Thursday and concludes Sunday with the gold medal game at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. All games will be played at the Scotiabank Centre, home of the Canadian Hockey League's (CHL) Halifax Mooseheads.
Livestreaming in English is available for free worldwide on CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices, with French digital coverage carried on USPORTS.LIVE.
CLARE DRAKE AWARD (Rookie of the Year): Mitchell Balmas, Saint Mary's
In just his first year with the Huskies program, Balmas scored the second most points in the conference and third most in the nation – amassing 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points on the season. A commerce student from Sydney, N.S., he was also named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian and earned a place on the U SPORTS all-rookie team.
Before joining the Huskies, Balmas played most recently for the QMJHL's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Prior to that, his QMJHL career included seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titans, the Gatineau Olympiques, and the Charlottetown Islanders.
This season, he led the Huskies to a 17-12-1 regular season record and a third-place finish in the conference standings.Saint Mary's went on to sweep the UPEI Panthers in their best-of-three quarterfinal series, with Balmas contributing a goal and an assist in Game 2.
He is the third consecutive AUS player to win the award and the first from the Saint Mary's program.
Nominees
CW: Jared Dmytriw, Saskatchewan
OUA: Chris Paquette, RMC
AUS: Mitchell Balmas, Saint Mary's (Winner)
DR. RANDY GREGG AWARD (Student-Athlete Community Service): Liam Maaskant, Acadia
A fifth-year engineering student from Clinton, Ont., Maaskant has served as team captain for two consecutive seasons.
He played in 28 games this season, anchoring the Acadia defence and scoring 15 points (four goals, 11 assists).
In the classroom, Maaskant is a three-time academic all-Canadian. Despite the heavy demands of being a student and a varsity athlete, he also contributes in the university and wider Wolfville communities, volunteering in a number of capacities.
He serves as the co-president of the Acadia Players' Association and is actively involved with the S.M.I.L.E. program (Sensory Motor Instructional Learning Experience) as a leader and program buddy. Maaskant has volunteered his time to a number of fundraising and minor hockey events, including Acadia's Hearts on Ice which raises money for the Valley Cardiac Rehab Society and the Hannah Miller Memorial Tournament, which gives back to the local hockey community.
Maaskant is the first member of the Axemen to win the award.
Nominees
CW: Adam Henry, Manitoba
OUA: Brendan Jacome, Ottawa
AUS: Liam Maaskant, Acadia (Winner)
ALL-CANADIAN & ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS
(*AUS student-athletes in bold)
|
First Team All-Canadians |
||||||
|
Pos. |
First Name |
Last Name |
School |
Elig. |
Hometown |
Program |
|
F |
Tyler |
Boland |
UNB |
3 |
St. John's, N.L. |
Recreation & Sport Studies |
|
F |
David |
Thomson |
Toronto |
2 |
Vaughan, Ont. |
Psychology / Criminology |
|
F |
Grayson |
Pawlenchuk |
Alberta |
2 |
Edmonton, Alta. |
Business |
|
D |
Nikolas |
Brouillard |
McGill |
4 |
St. Hilaire, Que. |
Economics |
|
D |
Nick |
Welsh |
Saint Mary's |
2 |
Halifax, N.S. |
Commerce |
|
G |
Taran |
Kozun |
Saskatchewan |
3 |
Nipawin, Sask. |
Arts & Sciences |
|
Second Team All-Canadians |
||||||
|
F |
Mitchell |
Balmas |
Saint Mary's |
1 |
Sydney, N.S. |
Commerce |
|
F |
Matt |
Alfaro |
Calgary |
3 |
Calgary, Alta. |
Science |
|
F |
Chris |
Paquette |
RMC |
1 |
Kingston, Ont. |
Military Arts & Science |
|
D |
Adam |
Henry |
Manitoba |
5 |
Winnipeg, Man. |
Management |
|
D |
Owen |
Headrick |
UPEI |
4 |
Garden River, Ont. |
Arts |
|
G |
Logan |
Flodell |
Acadia |
2 |
Regina, Sask. |
Business Admin. |
|
All-Rookie Team |
||||||
|
F |
Mitchell |
Balmas |
Saint Mary's |
1 |
Sydney, N.S. |
Commerce |
|
F |
Chris |
Paquette |
RMC |
1 |
Kingston, Ont. |
Military Arts & Science |
|
F |
Jared |
Dmytriw |
Saskatchewan |
1 |
Craven, Sask. |
Business |
|
D |
Dawson |
Davidson |
Alberta |
1 |
Moosomin, Sask. |
Arts |
|
D |
Jordan |
Sambrook |
Brock |
1 |
Markham, Ont. |
Social Sciences |
|
G |
Samuel |
Harvey |
UNB |
1 |
Alma, Que. |
Business Admin. |
Source: U SPORTS Communications