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LONDON, Ont. Amini Silatolu Blue Jersey . -- Anthony Mantha was a goal-a-game man in the regular season and the playoffs for the Val-dOr Foreurs. The 19-year-old from Longueil, Que., was rewarded for that consistency with the Canadian Hockey Leagues player-of-the year award Saturday. Mantha had 81 goals in 81 games and added another 77 assists for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Foreurs. "For sure Im proud of that," the towering winger said. "Its a lot of goals, but the credit needs to come back to my teammates that helped me out through this year. "I think it was just a great season. I put a lot of pressure on myself by leading the team on the ice, off the ice also." Mantha was chosen for the CHLs top individual trophy ahead of Western Hockey League nominee Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice and the Ontario Hockey Leagues Connor Brown of the Erie Otters. Brown was the CHLs top scorer in the regular season with 45 goals and 83 assists in 68 games. Reinhart earned the CHLs sportsmanlike award for recording just 11 minutes in penalties during the season. Mantha accepted the top-player award not long after the Foreurs were eliminated from the MasterCard Memorial Cup. The Foreurs fell 4-3 in triple overtime to the Edmonton Oil Kings in Fridays semifinal. The game was the longest game in Memorial Cup history at 102 minutes 42 seconds of play. Manthas teammates had already departed for Val-dOr on Saturday morning, but the right-winger remained in London to accept the player-of-the-year trophy. "It does feel weird," Mantha acknowledged. "Today, its an individual trophy that I won. For sure, I would have liked way better the trophy from (Sunday), but I mean Ill take this one. "Its a trophy that my teammates helped me out to win this year and I need to give them the credit." Mantha, six foot five and 204 pounds, finished the Memorial Cup with a goal and three assists. His was the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the host Knights to open the tournament. Mantha was drafted in the first round and 20th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2013 NHL entry draft. Foreurs coach Mario Durocher said during the Memorial Cup that Mantha returned from his first NHL training camp a changed player. "Last year, I would say a lot of critics were on my consistency level," Mantha said. "When I went to Detroit they tried to put that mentality in me and I think it did work for this year. I came back with that attitude and it was just a great thing for me." He was also Canadas top scorer at this years world junior hockey championship with five goals and six assists in six games. Previous winners of the CHLs top-player award include Jonathan Drouin (2013), Jordan Eberle (2011), John Tavares (2007), Sidney Crosby (2004, 2005), Brad Richards (2000), Eric Lindros (1991) and Joe Sakic (1988). "Its a great award to win and I think its something thats going to stay in mind for a few months if not for a few years, but I need to pass to another level in my career," Mantha said. "I think Ill be ready for it." Derrick Pouliot of the Western Hockey Leagues Portland Winterhawks was named the CHLs top defenceman. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect had 70 points in 58 games with a plus-minus of plus-40. Jordan Cooke of the Kelowna Rockets earned the trophy for best goaltender. The 20-year-old posted a record of 39-7-0-4 with a goals-against average of 2.28 and a save percentage of .922, Halifax Mooseheads forward Nikolaj Ehlers was chosen top rookie. The 18-year-old from Denmark had a plus-minus rating of plus-65 while contributing 49 goals and 53 assists in 63 games. The coaching award went to Eric Veilleux of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who reached the QMJHL final before falling in seven games to Val-dOr. Kingston Frontenacs forward Sam Bennett was selected the top NHL prospect. He is ranked first overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting for the draft next month. Erie Otter forward Connor McDavid won the scholastic award with an 87 per cent average in his second semester of Grade 11. Moose Jaw Warriors captain Sam Fioretti was recognized for his humanitarian work off the ice. He works with Moose Jaw police in their anti-bullying program. Dwan Edwards Jersey . -- Ernie Els hardly ever catches a break at the Match Play Championship. Fernando Velasco Black Jersey . The team says Paul is day to day and is questionable for Mondays game against New Jersey. Paul is averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 37.3 minutes in nine games for the Clippers, who beat Miami and the Lakers in their last two games.WINNIPEG -- Youre in the pool, start swimming -- thats pretty much how receiver Aaron Kelly describes his introduction last season to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. At the time, the team itself wasnt treading water too well. After Kelly was signed near the end of August he managed to finish 2013 with 22 catches and a respectable 321 yards by the end of the season, while the Bombers finished in the league cellar at 3-15. He finished fifth on the team receiving list. The lean six-foot-five import is now entering his fourth season in the CFL and has a combined 20 starts with the Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he spent his first two seasons. Kelly joined a team last year that had just sacked its president, general manager and offensive co-ordinator. They also were still in the process of burning through four quarterbacks, hoping to find one who could find a way out of their slump. "When you need timing and stuff like that you want to get familiar with a quarterback and when it changes up it makes it difficult," says the soft-spoken Georgia native. This year, Kelly says hes benefiting from a chance to attend training camp, learn the offence from the ground up and become familiar with the teams quarterbacks, before he has to play a regular-season game. "I think it will give me the ability to be a little more comfortable," he said. "You come in the middle of the season and youre just kind of thrown in there, and you know just like thrown in a pool and just trying to survive . . . "Getting in from the start you get all the details and all the coaching." Kelly has had a goood camp so far as the first pre-season game approaches Monday, when the Toronto Argonauts visit. Bene Benwikere Black Jersey. Its about the only game confirmed this year as the league and players association remain embroiled in a contract dispute. Starting quarterback Drew Willy and Max Hall, who was the most consistent quarterback at the end of last season for the Bombers, both like the way Kelly has been hauling in passes at camp "Weve had some good connections already in the past few days. Hes done a good job on the seam routes and corners," said Willy, who likes Kellys size. "His catch radius is very big and hes done a great job for us and were looking forward to him helping us." Hall has also had a pretty good camp himself and likes what Kelly delivers. "Aaron Kelly is a good football player," says Hall, the only quarterback the Bombers decided to keep from 2013. "Hes just easy to throw the ball to. But, for being such a big guy, hes got a nice stride, hes quick on his feet. And what I really like about him, he knows how to separate man coverage. And so, as a quarterback, hes a guy you can go to, a guy you can trust." There are four quarterbacks in camp right now for the Bombers, five if you count a guest slot for the University of Manitoba Bisons. Getting to work with that many is another bonus to attending camp, says Kelly, should something happen during the season that would force a change. "In camp you get a chance to work with everyone and get your timing down with everyone, so when you get into the game, youll be ready to work with whoever." cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
