Giugovaz named Vaughan OHL Goaltender of the Month

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in January 2016, including Barrie Colts standouts Kevin Labanc and Rasmus Andersson as well as Guelph Storm goaltender Michael Giugovaz and North Bay Battalion blueliner Cam Dineen.

Overage Guelph Storm goaltender Michael Giugovaz has been named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Month for January. The fourth year veteran played to a 6-1-1-2 record to go with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in 10 January starts. Giugovaz rattled off five consecutive wins from January 3rd to 15th, making 43 saves to begin the month with a 7-3 victory over the rival Kitchener Rangers. He recorded his first career OHL shutout on January 13th, making 32 saves in a 3-0 win over the London Knights. The 20-year-old made 37 saves against Owen Sound on January 15th before denying all nine shooters he faced in the shootout as the Storm outlasted the Attack 4-3. Most recently, Giugovaz turned aside 41 of the 43 shots he faced to help the Storm take a 4-2 win in Saginaw on January 31st. Giugovaz earned star of the game recognition six times in the month of January, earning first star honours on three of those occasions.

A native of Brampton, ON, Giugovaz is currently in his fourth OHL season, having gone 12-7-5-2 with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 28 games between Windsor and Guelph. The veteran netminder enjoyed a 25-win campaign with the London Knights in 2014-15, going 25-12-1-1 with a 3.59 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage in 47 regular season contests. Giugovaz was originally Peterborough’s 10th round (184th overall) pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Player of the Month – Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts):
San Jose Sharks prospect Kevin Labanc is the OHL’s Player of the Month for January after recording 12 goals, 18 assists and 30 points in 13 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-20. The OHL’s scoring leader continued his dominant campaign in the month of January, kicking things off by tying a Barrie Colts regular season franchise record when he scored three times and added four assists for seven points in a 12-2 win over North Bay on January 2nd. Just a week later Labanc would record a six point outing with three goals, three assists and six points in a 7-4 win over Mississauga. The third-year forward had points in 11 of his 13 January contests, with eight of those being multi-point performances. Labanc earned star of the game recognition five times over the course of the month, twice earning first star honours in his previously mentioned six and seven point performances.

A native of Staten Island, NY, Labanc currently leads the OHL in scoring with 29 goals, 56 assists and 85 points in 45 contests to go with a league-leading plus/minus rating of plus-42. The sixth round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2014 comes off a 31-goal season in 2014-15 and has also seen success on the international stage, winning a pair of silver medals with the United States at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2013 World Under-18 Hockey Championship. Labanc was originally Barrie’s sixth round (103rd overall) pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Rasmus Andersson (Barrie Colts): 
While Kevin Labanc is the OHL’s Player of the Month, another Barrie Colts standout in Calgary Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson has been named the league’s Defenceman of the Month for January. Andersson helped the Colts to an 8-4-0-1 mark in the month of January, collecting 17 assists in 13 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-14. The Swedish blueliner had points in 11 of his 13 outings, headlined by a three assist effort on January 15th against Hamilton. Andersson has points in his last five contests while the Colts enter the month of February having gained at least a point in each of their last six games.

A native of Malmo, Sweden, Andersson currently leads OHL defencemen in scoring with seven goals, 38 assists and 45 points in 45 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-17 while his 159 shots on goal lead all OHL blueliners. The 19 year-old finished third in scoring among OHL defencemen in 2014-15 with 12 goals, 52 assists and 64 points in 62 games before being selected in the second round (53rd overall) by Calgary last summer. Andersson was originally Barrie’s first round (37th overall) pick in the 2014 CHL Import Draft.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion): 
For the second straight month, North Bay Battalion defenceman Cam Dineen has been named the OHL’s Rookie of the Month. The 17 year-old blueliner recorded six goals, seven assists and 13 points in as many January contests, collecting points in 10 of those outings. Dineen’s current five game point streak includes a goal and an assist on January 21st against Guelph followed by scoring an overtime winner on January 22nd in Hamilton. Three of Dineen’s six goals in January were game winners, giving him a total of five on the season to lead all OHL defencemen. 

A native of Toms River, NJ, Dineen is currently second in scoring among OHL defencemen and rookies with 11 goals, 33 assists and 44 points in 47 games. His 11 goals are tied for second among blueliners. Originally North Bay’s 11th round (214th overall) pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection, Dineen is eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft and was ranked 117th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings released on January 19th.

2015-16 OHL Top Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
January – Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts)
December – Brendan Lemieux (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Dylan Strome (Erie Otters)
October – Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)

Defenceman of the Month:
January – Rasmus Andersson (Barrie Colts)
December – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion)
November – Travis Dermott (Erie Otters)
October – Vili Saarijarvi (Flint Firebirds)

Rookie of the Month:
January – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion)
December – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion)
November – Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads)

Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:
January – Michael Giugovaz (Guelph Storm)
December – Devin Williams (Erie Otters)
November – Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie Colts)
October – Lucas Peressini (Kingston Frontenacs)