GrayJay Sports
League News
League Award Winners named
The 2024-25 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Awards were announced Wednesday evening with players from the Pictou County Scotians playing a prominent role.
Lane Lochead has been named Player of the Year as well as the League Scoring Champion. Lochead scored 19 goals, six on the power-play while adding 35 assists for 54 points pacing Pictou to a record of 18-8-4 for 40 points and second place in the Sid Rowe Division. Assisting Lochead was the Brilliant Goaltending of Eli James with the Scotians who was named top goaltender. James finished with a 16-6-0 record, a 2.22 goals against average, a .935 save percentage, he recorded two shut-outs while allowing only 50 goals all season as he stopped 725 of the 775 shots he faced.
The final award for the Pictou County Scotians was the Coach/Staff of the Year Award going to Chris Hatchard and his bench staff for leading the Scotians to their second place finish in the Rowe Division.
Other award winners were Noah Comeau, the bulky and tall defenceman of the East Hants Penguins was named the Top Defensive Player of the Year recording 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points while playing a heavy presence on the power-play scoring four times.
Rookie of the Year Honours have been presented to the Capstone Colts Finn Merritt who diligently poked and prodded all season long while scoring 23 goals and tying teammate Liam Andrews for the most goals in the League.
The most gentlemanly player award was earned by Venel Campbell of the 26-4-0 Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs. Campbell was MVP of last year’s Nova Scotia Provincial Championship series with the South Shore Lumberjacks. He recorded only two minors all season for four penalty minutes while scoring 12 goals and adding 21 assists for 33 points. The only player to record less penalty minutes in the League All-Season was Jacob Gerhardt of the Valley Maple Leafs who recorded only one minor penalty while notching 30 points with 14 goals and 16 assists.
The 2024-25 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Playoffs start Thursday evening in Trenton as the Membertou Jr. Miners travel to play the Scotians in a 6:30 start in Game 1 of their Rowe Divisional Semi-Final.