OHL Announces 2023-24 Regular Season Award Winners
Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced three individual recipients of the League’s annual regular season awards.
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Top Scorer) & Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger) – David Goyette, Sudbury Wolves
Finishing his season with an impressive 15 points over his final five games, Sudbury Wolves captain David Goyette is the OHL’s top scorer in 2023-24, earning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy after an outstanding season. Goyette’s 117 points that included 40 goals and 77 assists across 68 games also earn him the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the League’s top scoring right winger.
A 19-year-old from Hawkesbury, Ont., Goyette recorded at least three points in a game 18 different times during the regular season, a big reason why Sudbury led the OHL with a total of 328 goals scored, the most by the franchise since 1991-92. His 117 points are the most by a Wolves player since Norm Milley registered 120 in 1998-99.
Goyette, who was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the second round (61st overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, becomes the third player in Wolves franchise history to claim the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, following Michael Sgarbossa (2011-12) and Mike Foligno (1978-79).
The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Eddie Powers and was first awarded in 1945-46 to Tod Sloan of St. Michael’s who scored 79 points in 25 games. In addition to Goyette, other recent recipients have included Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires, Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires in 2021-22 and Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s in 2019-20.
Selected by the Wolves with the 11th overall pick of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Goyette joins Milley (1998-99) and Foligno (1978-79) as the third member of the Wolves to win the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy. He wraps-up his third OHL season with career totals that include 114 goals, 168 assists and 282 points, good for sixth-most in Wolves franchise history.
The Jim Mahon Trophy was first presented following the 1971-72 season by the players and management of the Peterborough Petes in memory of their right winger Jim Mahon who was accidentally killed that summer. Recent recipients have included Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires, Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs in 2021-22 and Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2019-20.
Dave Pinkney Trophy (Lowest Team Goals-Against) – Michael Simpson and Owen Willmore, London Knights
The London Knights surrendered a league-low 197 goals over their 68-game schedule, a season that resulted in the franchise’s seventh Hamilton Spectator Trophy as OHL regular season champions. Backstopping the Knights to success was the goaltending tandem of Michael Simpson and Owen Willmore, who earn this year’s Dave Pinkney Trophy for their efforts.
Awarded annually since 1949, the Dave Pinkney Trophy is presented to the goaltenders of the team with the lowest goals-against average during the regular season.
A hometown product, Simpson finished the season with a league-low 2.61 goals-against average and placed second in the OHL with 34 wins. The former OHL champion and Playoff MVP also finished tied for the league-lead in shutouts with four, giving him a career total of 10. A former 10th round (193rd overall) pick by Peterborough in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Simpson played to a career regular season mark of 78-50-6-4 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .904 save percentage over 144 games.
Willmore ended his season on a 12-game run of undefeated hockey in regulation, a streak that dates back to Dec. 15th. The 19-year-old from London played to a mark of 16-4-0-2 with a 2.96 goals-against average and .899 save percentage, recording one shutout over 23 games. Formerly London’s 14th round (279th overall) pick in 2020, Willmore is a career 20-4-0-2, making six appearances with the Knights during the 2021-22 season and an additional three games in the 2023 OHL Championship Series.
This marks the fifth time London goaltenders have earned the award and the first since Tyler Parsons and Brendan Burke of the 2016 Memorial Cup championship team last did so. Other past London recipients have included Gerald Coleman (2004, 2005), Adam Dennis (2005), Ryan MacDonald (2004) and Pat Riggin (1977).
F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy (Best Rookie Goals-Against Average) – Jack Ivankovic, Mississauga Steelheads
Jack Ivankovic of the Mississauga Steelheads is the recipient of the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy, leading all qualified rookie netminders with a 2.72 goals-against average.
A 16-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., Ivankovic had an excellent rookie season, going 14-5-4-0 with a .915 save percentage and one shutout over 25 games. His first career shutout came on Nov. 25th as he stopped all 48 shots he faced in a 5-0 road win over the Erie Otters.
Ivankovic, who was selected by Mississauga with the seventh overall pick of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, becomes the first Steelheads goaltender to ever win the award. He’s the OHL’s first 16-year-old goaltender to claim the honour since Michael DiPietro of the 2015-16 Windsor Spitfires.
The trophy is named after F.W. “Dinty” Moore of Port Colborne, Ont., who served as OHA President from 1942-45. In order to qualify for this rookie award, a goaltender must play a minimum of 900 minutes. Last year’s winner was Zach Bowen of the London Knights who now plays for the Peterborough Petes.
