Awards handed out at Cataractes Gala
Last Saturday night was the end of season gala that crowned the best individual performances of the last season with the Shawinigan Cataractes in addition to marking the departure of the three players of 20-years-old who put an end to their junior career.
First, Anthony Beauvillier put his hands on the offensive player of the year award. The captain scored 40 goals and collected 39 assists for a total of 79 points, despite the fact that he played only 47 games during the regular season. The hope of the New York Islanders was equally dominant in the playoffs, during which he scored 30 points (15b-15p) in 21 games.
It’s no surprise that Samuel Girard was named Defensive Player of the Year. Despite his 17 years of age, he finished the regular season with the highest number of points among defensemen throughout the Canadian Hockey League, 74 (10b-64p), Girard also received the Émile-Bouchard Trophy awarded to the best defenseman in the QMJHL, at the Golden Puck Awards Gala.
The Cataractes top point-getter season, Alexis D’Aoust, put his hand on the GESTEM to highlight the involvement in the community. Right winger showed consistency as much on the ice and off this season, as evidenced by his 98 points (44b-54p) in 68 games. D’Aoust has also set up a sponsorship program with minor hockey players to support young people in sports and academics. The Trifluvien also won the Marcel-Robert Trophy as the student-athlete in the QMJHL at the recent Golden Puck awards.
For his part, the defender of 17 years Simon Benedict was awarded the Trophy for rookie of the year in Cats. In his first season in the QMJHL, the Laval played 55 regular season games and two playoff, during which he had a goal and two assists, while posting a +1 rating.
The organization also took the season-ending gala to deliver a commemorative message to the three players of 20, Alex Pawelczyk, Danny Moynihan and Philippe Cadorette, who have just completed their junior career.
Alex Pawelczyk has rendered great service to his team during his junior career, having played all of his 280 games in the QMJHL with Shawinigan. The Richmond native had his best campaign this season, scoring 23 goals in the regular season and seven in the playoffs.
Cadorette, in turn, rewrote the record books of the playoffs of the QMJHL, setting new marks for the greatest number of wins (51) and games played (81) in the post-season.
Acquired from the Halifax Mooseheads in the last period of transactions, Danny Moynihan has just put an end to a beautiful junior career. In 248 regular season and playoff games, the center from Boston has scored 94 goals in addition to getting 118 assists for a total of 212 points.
