Portage Terriers’ standout forward Jeremey Leipsic is one of five players to be nominated for the CJHL Top Forward Award. A candidate from each of the 10 leagues that comprise the CJHL was nominated by their respective leagues for six national awards. The winner of each respective category will be announced during the week of May 8-12, heading into the RBC Cup Canadian Jr. A Championship, May 13-21, in Cobourg, Ont.
Leipsic, 20, established himself as not only one of the best forwards in the MJHL, but in all of the CJHL. The list of accolades this season is impressive for the Winnipegger. In addition to winning the MJHL scoring title (100 points), he was named a MJHL first-team all-star forward and on three occasions was named the RBC/MJHL Player of the Month. Leipsic was also awarded the MJHL’s Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship Award after being given only 12 minutes in penalties in 60 games played. He was also named a game star in 12 games this season.
Leipsic also won the playoff scoring race with 19 points (5-14) in 18 games for the Terriers, who captured their third consecutive MJHL championship.
Leipsic, who hopes to earn an NCAA scholarship, was also only one of five CJHL players to reach, or surpass 100 points this past season. Currently, Leipsic and his teammates are in Penticton competing in the Sun Life Financial Western Canada Cup. Two teams from the WCC will advance to the RBC Cup later this month in Cobourg.
The other CJHL Top Forward finalists are below:
BCHL: Brendan Harris – Wenatchee Wild: Harris led the BCHL in scoring with 23 goals and 75 assists for 98 points in 57 games while amassing just 14 penalty minutes. … An assistant captain during the 2016-17 season, Harris posted 32 multiple-point games, helping Wenatchee win the Ron Boileau Memorial trophy as regular-season champions. … Earlier in the 2016-17 campaign, the 20-year-old Henderson, Nev., native boasted an impressive 14-game point streak. … Harris is an active volunteer with the Learning with the Wild program in Wenatchee. He is also committed to attend Bemidji State University on scholarship for 2017-18.
CCHL: Grant Hebert – Cumberland Grads: As the leading scorer of the CCHL, Hebert showed he can play in all on-ice scenarios, including both the power play and penalty kill. … The 19-year-old St. Andrews West, Ont., product is a very powerful skater, who boats great vision, hands, and ability to carry the puck. … Has committed to NCAA Robert Morris University for 2018-19 so still has another season of junior ahead of him. … In 60 games, Hebert notched a CCHL-best 91 points on 27 Goals and 64 Assists.
OJHL: Jack Jacome – Georgetown Raiders: Winner of the OJHL’s Top Scorer Award, the 18-year old native of Caledon, Ont., was also selected an OJHL 1st Team All-Star. … Jacome topped all OJHL scorers with 57 assists and 91 points in 53 regular season games while finishing third in the league with 34 goals. … Tied for the league lead with 31 power play
points and added seven game-winning goals. Serves as an alternate captain on the Raiders and posted two scoring streaks that surpassed 10 games. … Jacome recorded points in 44 of his 53 games this season, never going more than two consecutive games without at least a single point, while notching multiple points in 26 games and 5 multi-goal outings. Twice this season he was named the OJHL’s South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month. … Was also member of Team OJHL Hawerchuk at the 2016 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge and is committed to join the Clarkson University Golden Knights on scholarship in the fall.
SIJHL: Braeden Allkins – Dryden GM Ice Dogs: The 20-year-old from Golden, B.C., led the SIJHL in both goals and points during the campaign as he notched 53 tallies while chipping in with 44 assists for 97 points overall. … His totals set a new Dryden franchise mark for goals and points in a single season and he also led the way in SIJHL power play markers with 16 and game-winning goals with eight while tying for first in shorthanded efforts with four. … By scoring 53 times it marked the second-highest total in the entire 132-team CJHL in 2016-17. The GM Ice Dogs was also a SIJHL CCM first team all-star.
