Michael Webster Awarded Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Barrie Colts defenceman Michael Webster is the 2015-16 recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy.
Webster was chosen for the award by a media selection committee as the OHL team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey and community that Mickey demonstrated.
“I am very honoured to be this year’s recipient of the OHL’s Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy,” said Webster. “This is an amazing award named after a former Captain of the Windsor Spitfires, who I understand was a great leader on and off the ice. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to play for an organization like the OHL’s Barrie Colts for the past four years and also to have been picked by our owner Howie Campbell and coach Dale Hawerchuk, to serve as Captain this year. We had a great year as a team and I share this honour with my teammates. I would like to extend my thanks to the Renaud family for giving us Mickey’s example to live up to.”
A four-year member of the Colts, Webster was named team captain prior to the start of the 2015-16 season. The 20-year-old Toronto native helped lead the club to a second straight Central Division title contributing a career-high 44 points in 64 games from the blueline. The 17th captain in franchise history finishes his OHL career having played 254 career regular season games accumulating 18 goals and 77 assists for 95 points. He was chosen by the Colts in the 12th round of the 2011 OHL Priority Selection.
“The Colts are extremely proud of Michael and the way he handled himself as the captain of the Barrie Colts this season,” said General Manager Jason Ford. “He showed outstanding initiative and dedication in the community, and was someone all of the players looked up to on and off the ice.”
Webster’s dedication to community initiatives throughout Barrie and Simcoe County were exceptional representing the Colts as a Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy nominee for two straight years as the team’s Humanitarian of the Year. He took leadership in efforts to support the Canadian Mental Health Association personally raising close to $50,000 for various causes including $21,000 this season for the March Mullet Foundation in support of CMHA. Webster is also a weekly supporter of a CMHA program called LIFT (Life Skills & Independence for Teens) volunteering his time to work with youth in the program using his positive attitude to help make a difference in the lives of those around him.
“Michael’s leadership on the ice and in the community is unparalleled in my tenure in Barrie,” added Head Coach Dale Hawerchuk. “He has been a true team first player and would be a true asset to any organization. Congratulations to Michael on this prestigious award.”
Webster becomes the eighth recipient of the award following Max Domi of the London Knights who received the award last season. Past recipients also include Matt Finn (Guelph Storm 2014), Colin Miller (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 2013), Andrew Agozzino (Niagara IceDogs 2012), Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires 2011), John Kurtz (Sudbury Wolves 2010), and Chris Terry of the Plymouth Whalers who won the inaugural award for the 2008-09 season.
Nomination forms are submitted annually by OHL General Managers on behalf of their individual team captains. The selection committee consists of a panel of four, representing media from each OHL division.
The Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy will be formally presented to Webster at the OHL Awards Ceremony on Tuesday June 7 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
