NOJHL announces its CCM Hockey players of the month for December

SUDBURY, Ont. – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League announced Monday its respective CCM Hockey player, defenceman, goaltender and rookie of the month for December.

CCM HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE MONTH – NICK TECHEL, (F) SOO EAGLES: In seven outings in December, Techel registered 11 points for the Eagles on four goals and seven assists.

That included a personal regular season single-game high five points back on Dec. 8 in a Sault Ste. Marie victory at Elliot Lake.

The 19-year-old Wassau, Wis., product currently leads the NOJHL in scoring with 53 points on 20 goals and 33 assists.

Techel also has 14 multi-point games to his credit this season.

Honourable Mention: Austin Stauffer, (F) Cochrane Crunch; Nick Smith, (F) Soo Thunderbirds

Monthly recipients
September: Gregory Trudeau-Paquet, (F) French River Rapids
October: Tyler Fyfe, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
November: Tyson Gilmour, (F) Powassan Voodoos
December: Nick Techel, (F) Soo Eagles

CCM HOCKEY DEFENCEMAN OF THE MONTH – CONNOR LOVIE, (D) COCHRANE CRUNCH: Lovie’s efforts in both ends of the ice helped Cochrane move into third overall in the league standings.

The 20-year-old, who hails from London, Ont., was close to a point-per-game last month for the Crunch as he scored once and doled out seven assists along the way in nine match-ups.

Last season’s Top Defenceman award recipient and a CCM Hockey first team all-star, Lovie currently sits fourth in points among league D-men with 26, including 20 assists.

A veteran of 180 NOJHL contests, Lovie has accumulated 81 points in that span on 17 tallies and 64 helpers.

Honourable Mention: Payton Vescio, (D) Powassan Voodoos; Hayden Clark, (D) Soo Eagles

Monthly recipients
September: Dayton Murray, (D) Powassan Voodoos
October: Ethan Lavallee, (D) Rayside-Balfour Canadians
November: Dayton Murray, (D) Powassan Voodoos
December: Connor Lovie, (D) Cochrane Crunch

CCM HOCKEY GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH – RYAN WINTER, (G) KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS: In four starts in December the 18-year-old netminder who hails from Owen Sound, Ont., helped the Gold Miners secure seven of a possible eight points along the way with a trio of victories and an overtime setback.

Winter also posted a 2.17 goals-against average for the month along with a solid .941 save percentage.

His 11 wins so far, this season tie him for sixth among league goaltenders.

Winter is second overall in minutes played in the league this season and ranks in the Top 10 in both average and save percentage while sitting tied for the NOJHL lead in shutouts with three.

Honourable Mention: Logan Sawka, (G) Elliot Lake Wildcats; Shayne Battler, (G) Cochrane Crunch
Monthly recipients
September: Artem Bortovskiy, (G) Hearst Lumberjacks
October: MacKenzie Savard, (G) Rayside-Balfour Canadians
November: Shayne Battler, (G) Cochrane Crunch
December: Ryan Winter, (G) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners

CCM HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE MONTH – CAMARYN BABER (F) SOO THUNDERBIRDS: A solid rookie year continued for Baber in December as his 10 points in seven games helped bolster the Thunderbirds’ fortunes.

The 17-year-old forward who skates for his hometown Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., side produced a goal and nine assists during the time frame, which also featured five multi-point affairs.

Baber enters play in 2018 tied for seventh in NOJHL rookie scoring with 27 points in 29 games having scored seven times while helping set-up 20 others.

Honourable Mention: Payton Vescio, (D) Powassan Voodoos; Samuel Bourdages, (F) Hearst Lumberjacks

Monthly recipients
September: Owen Robinson, (F) Blind River Beavers
October: Harrison Israels, (F) Powassan Voodoos
November: Tomas Yachmenev, (F) Powassan Voodoos
December: Camaryn Baber, (F) Soo Thunderbirds

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