Men's Hockey | 4/6/2018 11:02:00 PM
MONTREAL –
Jerome Verrier of Drummondville, Que., was a double award winner as the OUA champion McGill University men's hockey team officially wrapped up their 142nd season on Friday, with their annual Friends of McGill Hockey gala, held before more than 100 alumni and supporters at La Brasserie Molson-Coors.
Verrier, a 23-year-old economics junior, received the Dr. Bobby Bell Memorial Bowl, which has been presented since 1950 to the team's most valuable player. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound centre also garnered the Molson Cup, presented since 1981 to the player with the most three-star selections.
Other major award recipients included junior forward
Samuel Hodhod (Albert Fyon Trophy, most improved player) of Westmount, Que., in addition to freshmen forwards
Keanu Yamamoto of Spokane, Wash., and
Michael Cramarossa of Markham, Ont., who both shared the Friends of McGill Hockey Trophy as rookie of the year. It marked the first time that co-winners were declared since 1982 when forward
Fraser Gamble and goaltender
Dan Gubiani shared the rookie award.
The team also celebrated the 10th anniversary reunion of McGill's 2008 Queen's Cup championship -- their first title since 1946 -- and paid tribute to long-time equipment manager
Earl Hawke, 83, who has retired after 21 seasons of sharpening skates, handling equipment and laundry for the team.
The evening wrapped up with an emotional send-off to the team's four graduating players, namely fifth-year goaltender
Jacob Gervais-Chouinard (M.A. - economics) of Sherbrooke, Que., and team captain
Nathan Chiarlitti (M.A. exercise physiology) of Maple, Ont., along with alternate captains
Jan Kaminsky (B.Eng - electrical engineering) of Kennesaw, Georgia and
Francis Lambert-Lemay (B.A. Economics) of St. Ours, Que.
Bench boss
Kelly Nobes, who was named U SPORTS coach of the year in men's hockey, presented each senior with their game jersey, a framed photo portrait, a pewter mug and a traditional McGill necktie, made famous by Redmen hockey grad
Mike Babcock, who wore it when coaching the Canadian Olympic team to gold medal victories at the Vancouver and Sochi Winter Games.
The soiree concluded a stellar campaign for the Redmen, who finished first in the 20-team OUA Conference with a 22-4-2 record. Overall, the team produced a 34-10-0 mark en route to winning playoff rounds over Laurentian, Ottawa and Concordia in the OUA East Division, before defeating Brock in the OUA championship game for their 18th Queen's Cup title and fifth in 11 years. Their season came to an abrupt end at the national championship tourney in Fredericton, where they fell to Saskatchewan in a sudden-death quarter-final.
The Redmen iced a lineup that featured five freshmen, nine sophomores, nine juniors and four seniors. The roster included 16 players from Quebec, seven from Ontario, one from British Columbia and three Americans.
Verrier, an OUA East second-team all-star, led the team with 62 points, including 19 goals in 44 games overall. In regular season play, he finished second in the OUA scoring race with a 12-29-41 record in 28 contests. He also captured the OUA playoff scoring title with 17 points in nine games.
Hodhod, a 5-foot-9, 182-pound winger, registered seven goals and 22 points in 40 games. The third-year finance major tallied two game-winners and a power-play marker.
Yamamoto, who was recruited out of Spokane in the Western Hockey League, finished third in the team scoring race with 14 goals and 33 points in 43 games. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound forward was second on the team in shorthanded goals with four. He added a PP goal, one hat-trick and three game-winning tallies.
Cramarossa, who played in the OHL for Hamilton — including one season under head coach
George Burnett, a McGill grad — collected 30 points, including 10 goals in 43 games. The six-foot, 190-pound Arts freshman added two shorthanded markers and a pair of game-winners.
