2019-20 CHL Season in Review: Top Overagers
With the 2019-20 campaign concluded, the Canadian Hockey League is reviewing many of this season’s top performers including the most impressive overagers.
Robert, Sherbrooke have season to remember
Despite the season coming to an abrupt end, it was one for the record books for the Sherbrooke Phoenix and their leading scorer Felix Robert.
Wrapping up 2019-20 with a career high of 92 points – besting his previous high-water mark by a 37-point margin – Robert was a dominant offensive contributor all season in helping the Phoenix finish atop the QMJHL with 106 points, a record-high for the franchise in only its eighth year since joining the league in 2012. As for Robert, the season counted a handful of impressive performances including two separate point streaks that lasted at least 15 games, the first of which included an incredible seven-point single-game showing coming against the Shawinigan Cataractes in late October that set a new franchise record before linemate and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Samuel Poulin later posted eight points in the same contest. Robert wasn’t the only Phoenix overage forward to have an outstanding season as Alex-Olivier Voyer produced 88 points in 63 games.
Around the CHL, other top veteran point producers included Medicine Hat Tigers captain James Hamblin who notched a career high of 92 points through 63 appearances to finish third in scoring in the WHL, outpacing Kamloops’ Zane Franklin by a single point. From the OHL, Ottawa 67’s fifth-year forward Joseph Garreffa headlined all overagers with a 90-point campaign, finishing one point ahead of teammate and fellow overager Austen Keating.
Hoefenmayer leads veteran defencemen
No blue-liner was more productive from the back end this season than Ottawa 67’s fifth-year rearguard Noel Hoefenmayer.
Leading all defencemen across the CHL with 82 points through 58 appearances, Hoefenmayer put together a career year which saw him finish 20 points ahead of his previous best finish of 62 points set a year ago in addition to a six-point edge on London’s Ryan Merkley to lead all defencemen in scoring. This season saw Hoefenmayer record 24 multi-point performances including a pair of season-best four-point outings coming against the Sarnia Sting and Kingston Frontenacs earlier in the 2019-20 campaign. The 21-year-old native of North York, Ont., also finishes the season as the first 67’s rearguard to reach the 80-point plateau since former blue-liner Brian Campbell did so during the 1998-99 season.
Across the circuit, other top performers from the back end included Brady Lyle of the Owen Sound Attack with 65 points in 62 games, followed by Wyatte Wylie of the Everett Silvertips who put together a career-high 64-point campaign, ultimately helping him land an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in March following his selection in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft. From the QMJHL, top honours belong to Darien Kielb of the Quebec Remparts who posted a single-season high of 45 points following a season in which he marked a 13-point improvement from a year ago and marked career bests in goals (nine) and assists (36).