2022-23 AUS men's hockey major awards and all-stars announced
STFX's Liam Hawel named MVP for second straight season
(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2022-23 AUS men's hockey major award winners and all-stars as selected by the conference's seven head coaches following regular season play.
Second-year STFX forward Liam Hawel (Arnprior, Ont.) was chosen as the AUS most valuable player for the second consecutive season.
Other AUS major award winners announced today were UNB's Samuel Richard (Saint-Catherine, Que.) who was named rookie of the year; UPEI's Troy Lajeunesse (Sturgeon Falls, Ont.) who was chosen as the most sportsmanlike player; Saint Mary's Matt Welsh (Halifax, N.S.), who was awarded student-athlete community service honours; and Saint Mary's head coach Tyler Naugler who is the AUS men's hockey coach of the year.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (Kelly Trophy): Liam Hawel, STFX X-Men
The Atlantic University Sport men's hockey most valuable player for the 2022-23 season is Liam Hawel of the STFX X-Men. This marks the second consecutive season he's earned the conference's top honour.
A second-year business student from Arnprior, Ont., the STFX forward led the AUS and finished third in U SPORTS in points this season with 39 (16 goals and 23 assists).
In addition to being named AUS MVP, the X-Men alternate captain has been named an AUS first team all-star for the second consecutive season.
Hawel was also honoured as the 2021-22 AUS and U SPORTS rookie of the year last season and received first team All-Canadian status in a breakout year. Liam was one of 11 AUS athletes who won gold for Team Canada at the recent FISU World University Games.
He now becomes the AUS nominee for the for the U SPORTS Senator Joseph A. Sullivan trophy as the nation's top player. UNB's Philippe Maillet is the most recent player from the AUS to be named national MVP. He won the award in 2016-17.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (A.J. MacAdam Trophy): Samuel Richard, UNB REDS
The Atlantic conference rookie of the year and recipient of the A.J. MacAdam Trophy for the 2022-23 season is UNB REDS goaltender Samuel Richard.
An arts student from Sainte-Catherine, Que., Richard started in 22 games for the REDS this season.
In just his first year, he led U SPORTS with a goals against average of 1.59. His .933 save percentage was the best in the Atlantic conference and the second best in the country.
The REDS finished the AUS regular season in first place, with a 24-6 record, earning a first-round bye through to the semi-final round of the conference playoffs. Richard finished with 18 wins on the season.
Prior to beginning his AUS career, Richard played three seasons with the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
He is the first UNB player to be named conference rookie of the year since former REDS standout Kris Bennett who earned the honour in 2018.
Richard now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Clare Drake Award for U SPORTS rookie of the year.
AUS players earned the national honour the last four consecutive seasons—with this year's AUS MVP Hawel from STFX winning it last season, Saint Mary's Mitchell Balmas in 2019-20, Moncton's Étienne Monpetit in 2018-19 and UNB's Bennett in 2017-18.
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER (Don Wells Trophy): Troy Lajeunesse, UPEI Panthers
In his fourth season with the UPEI Panthers, forward Troy Lajeunesse has been chosen as the Atlantic University Sport most sportsmanlike player and recipient of the Don Wells Trophy.
An arts student from Sturgeon Falls, Ont., Lajeunesse led the Panthers this season in both goals (15) and points (30). His 30 points were good for fourth in Atlantic conference.
He played in 28 games for UPEI and took 108 shots while picking up just six minor penalties all season.
In addition to being named the conference's most sportsmanlike player, Lajeunesse has also been named an AUS first team all-star this season.
He was named an AUS second team all-star last season.
He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for U SPORTS' R. W. Pugh Award for most sportsmanlike player.
UNB's Joe Gatenby earned the honour last season.
The only UPEI player to be honoured with the national award is former Panthers standout Joel Ward who went on to play 11 seasons in the NHL, retiring with the San Jose Sharks in 2018.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (The Godfrey Award): Matthew Welsh, Saint Mary's Huskies
The 2022-23 recipient of the Godfrey Award for student-athlete community service and AUS nominee for the prestigious Dr. Randy Gregg Award is Matthew Welsh from the Saint Mary's Huskies.
Named for Dr. Bill Godfrey, this award is given annually to the player who best represents the spirit of intercollegiate hockey by his leadership both on and off the ice and by his conduct throughout the season.
This is Welsh's second consecutive season earning this honour.
A commerce student from Halifax, N.S., aiming to pursue an MBA, he's been named to the Dean's list and is a two-time Academic All-Canadian.
In his second year of eligibility, the Saint Mary's goaltender started in 14 games for the Huskies this season and finished with a .904 save percentage.
He was also selected to represent his country at the 2023 FISU World University Games held in Lake Placid, NY last month, where he brought home a gold medal as a member of Team Canada.
Welsh is a player-ambassador for Hockey Gives Blood, an organization that promotes the need for blood, plasma and stem cell donation in partnership with Canadian Blood Services. As part of this volunteer role, Welsh has been involved in organizing blood drives and promoting the organization on social media platforms.
In 2020 he was given the Dayna Brons Honorary Award for an individual in the hockey community who exhibits outstanding dedication towards patients who rely on blood and stem cell products in Canada.
Welsh now becomes the AUS nominee for the Dr. Randy Gregg Award.
The most recent players from the Atlantic conference to earn the honour were Acadia's Liam Maaskant in 2019-20 and UNB's Randy Gazzola in 2018-19.
COACH OF THE YEAR (Bob Boucher Trophy): Tyler Naugler, Saint Mary's
In his third season leading the Saint Mary's Huskies men's hockey team, Tyler Naugler has been chosen by his peers as the 2022-23 AUS coach of the year.
Coach Naugler led the Huskies to a 20-10 regular reason record, a second-place finish in the conference standings, and a first-round bye through to the semifinals of the AUS playoffs.
In the 2022-23 regular season, Saint Mary's scored an average of 3.50 goals per game, had the second-highest save percentage in the league (.916) and the second best power play percentage (24.4).
Naugler is the first Huskies coach to win the Bob Boucher Trophy since Trevor Stienburg earned the honour in the 2012-13 season.
He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as the U SPORTS coach of the year. Dalhousie's Chris Donnelly is the most recent Atlantic conference recipient of the national honour, he was named U SPORTS coach of the year last season.
2022-23 AUS ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
First Team All-Stars
Goaltender: Samuel Richard, UNB (1st year – Sainte-Catherine, Que.)
Defence: Matt Brassard, UPEI (3rd year – Barrie, Ont.)
Defence: Justin MacPherson, Saint Mary's (2nd year – East Gwillimbury, Ont.)
Forward: Liam Hawel, STFX (2nd year – Arnprior, Ont.)
Forward: Troy Lajeunesse, UPEI (4th year – Sturgeon Falls, Ont.)
Forward: Matthew Struthers, STFX (2nd year – Milton, Ont.)
Second Team All-Stars
Goaltender: Jonah Capriotti, UPEI (4th year – Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Defence: Adam McCormick, UNB (2nd year – Waterville, N.B.)
Defence: Ross MacDougall, UNB (4th year – St. Stephen, N.B.)
Forward: Andrew Coxhead, Saint Mary's (2nd year – Bedford, N.S.)
Forward: Simon Pinard, UNB (1st year – Drummondville, Que.)
Forward: Jason Willms, UNB (2nd year – Kitchener, Ont.)
All-Rookie Team
Goaltender: Samuel Richard, UNB (Ste. Catharine, Que.)
Defence: Jacob Dion, Moncton (Sherbrooke, Que.)
Defence: Jaxon Bellamy, Saint Mary's (Hampton, Ont.)
Forward: Simon Pinard, UNB (Drummondville, Que.)
Forward: Cody Morgan, UNB (Gilford, Ont.)
Forward: Jérémy Michel, Moncton (Lévis, Que.)
The semifinals of the Subway AUS Men's Hockey Championship are set to begin later this week. The UNB Reds will face off against the Moncton Aigles Bleus in one best 3-of-5 series, while the Saint Mary's Huskies take on the Acadia Axemen in the other.
The full schedule is available here.
The winners of each series will advance to the Subway AUS Men's Hockey Championship Finals best 2-of-3 series.
All games will be webcast at www.AUStv.ca.
The 2023 U SPORTS University Cup is being hosted by the UPEI Panthers March 16 to 19 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Atlantic conference has three berths in the national championship. UPEI receives one as host. The other two berths will be awarded to the AUS champion and runner up.