Suzuki named to OHL’s 1st All-Rookie Team

Toronto, ON – On Monday, Apr. 18 the Ontario Hockey League today announced their 1st and 2nd All-Rookie Teams headlined by Rookie of the Year Alex Nylander of the Mississauga Steelheads.

While Nylander led the league in voting for rookie of the year, Owen Sound Attack rookie Nick Suzuki was named to the 1st All-Rookie Team by way of his 57 voting points which led all rookie centremen.

In his first season in the OHL, Suzuki was the only 16 year old to score more than 20 goals, finding the back of the net 20 times exactly while adding 18 assists over the course of 63 games.

To win the Rookie of the year Award, Nylander earned 84 of a possible 95 voting points ahead of Cam Dineen of the North Bay Battalion and Boris Katchouk of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who tied for second with 30 voting points each. The Emms Family Award will be formally presented to Nylander at the OHL’s annual Awards Ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Tuesday June 7. He will be the OHL’s nominee for CHL Rookie of the Year to be announced at the MasterCard Memorial Cup on Saturday May 28.

Nylander was also named to the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team at left wing joined up front by teammate Owen Tippett at right wing, and centre Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack. First team defencemen include Dineen, along with Mikhail Sergachev of the Windsor Spitfires. Fellow Spitfire Michael DiPietro was named goaltender for the First All-Rookie Team. Katchouk was voted to the Second All-Rookie Team at left wing alongside Spitfires Gabriel Vilardi at centre, and Cole Carter at right wing. Olli Juolevi of the London Knights and the Steelheads’ Nicolas Hague were voted second team defencemen, joined by goaltender Stephen Dhillon of the Niagara IceDogs.

The OHL All-Rookie Teams were also selected by the OHL’s General Managers. Players were voted on initially by position within their conference receiving five points for a first place vote, three for a second place vote, and one for a third. Top vote getters in each position made up the final ballot that was then circulated to all 20 teams.

2015-16 OHL All-Rookie Teams (voting points in brackets):

First Team:
Centre – Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound Attack (57)
Left Wing – Alexander Nylander, Mississauga Steelheads (90)
Right Wing – Owen Tippett, Mississauga Steelheads (81)
Defence – Mikhail Sergachev, Windsor Spitfires (93)
Defence – Cam Dineen, North Bay Battalion (78)
Goaltender – Michael DiPietro, Windsor Spitfires (91)

Second Team:
Centre – Gabriel Vilardi, Windsor Spitfires (43)
Left Wing – Boris Katchouk, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (42)
Right Wing – Cole Carter, Windsor Spitfires (34)
Defence – Olli Juolevi, London Knights (72)
Defence – Nicolas Hague, Mississauga Steelheads (40)
Goaltender – Stephen Dhillon, Niagara IceDogs (40)