OHL grads Bollers, Hawel and Mattinen honoured with U SPORTS men’s hockey awards

 

Three OHL graduates are in the national spotlight, being recognized with U SPORTS men’s hockey year-end awards.

Kyle Bollers, Liam Hawel and Nicolas Mattinen all had outstanding seasons while several other OHL grads were named to U SPORTS All-Canadians as a result of their fine play.

Clare Drake Award (Rookie of the Year) – Liam Hawel (StFX X-Men)
Liam Hawel is a 6’4″ forward and business student hailing from Arnprior, Ont. An AUS first-team all-star, he was third overall in U SPORTS scoring with 37 points (18G, 19A) and was second in the nation in goals scored. He led the AUS conference in points, goals and assists and had the third-highest +/- rating at +16. Hawel also notched five powerplay and four game-winning goals this season for the second place X-Men.

Prior to joining the X-Men, he played five years in the OHL, winning an OHL championship with the Guelph Storm in 2019. A fourth-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2017 NHL draft, Liam most recently spent the 2020-21 season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. He was also a member of the 2016-17 U18 national team, competing in the IIHF U18 World Championships.

“Liam has been an outstanding addition to our program,” notes head coach Brad Peddle. “He had an excellent first season and made an immediate impact to our program. He was a key part of our regular-season success and is a fierce competitor with elite-level skill and hockey sense with the ability to take over games. Liam certainly established himself as one of the premier players in the nation in only his first season.”

Big congrats extended to our X-Men Hockey Athletes! U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, 1st Team All-Canadian & All-Rookie Team for Liam Hawel and 2nd Team All-Canadian’s Santino Centorame & Matthew Struthers! #goxgo pic.twitter.com/XDlE16X9aS

— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) March 30, 2022

Defenceman of the Year Award – Nicolas Mattinen (Ottawa Gee-Gees)
Nicolas Mattinen is the recipient of the U SPORTS Defenceman of the Year Awards after earning both OUA East/Far East Most Valuable Player and conference Defenceman of the Year honours after his second season of play in Garnet and Grey, having joined the squad before the 2019-2020 season. This year, the 6-foot-5 blueliner from Ottawa tied for the Gee-Gees team lead in goals with six and was second on the team in points with 13 in 18 games played.

Mattinen uses his tall frame and exceptional reach to not only be a good defender and cut-off plays, but also to showcase his impressive puck skills. Whether it is breaking out with the puck, unleashing his shot, or demonstrating his overall poise and confidence, the Gee-Gees blueliner has proven to be a threat in all three zones.

The two-time Ontario Hockey League champion (2016 with London; 2018 with Hamilton) and 2016 Memorial Cup winner with the Knights, played an average of 24 minutes per game for the Gee-Gees and maintain a responsible style of play therein, staying out of the penalty box during the lofty time he logged. The ability to do so proved even more impressive given the effort that the opposition spent zoning in on him on the ice. He also helped anchor the team’s penalty kill that ranked fifth overall in the conference at 83.9%, while also shining on the powerplay, and on offence in general.

Mattinen is wrapping up his career in Garnet and Grey following this season. He played his first AHL game on March 23, recording an assist with the Rocket de Laval. Mattinen was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

???? MHKY: @uOttawaGeeGees Nicholas Mattinen is the @USPORTS_Hockey Defenceman of the Year!

???? HKYM: Liam Hawel de @GeeGeesMHKY est le défenseur de l’année!#ChaseTheGlory #ViserHaut pic.twitter.com/v0Mf76RkPB

— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) March 30, 2022

Randy Gregg Award (Student-Athlete Community Service) – Kyle Bollers (Ryerson Rams)
Taking home the Randy Gregg Award for student-athlete community service is Rams rookie Kyle Bollers, who has worked hard to ensure that equity-seeking communities are being represented and given the same opportunity to play hockey and learn the game.

Included in these efforts is Bollers’ work with the Black Aces hockey program, helping kids from underserved communities learn to skate, while also serving as a tutor/mentor. The first-year forward from Oshawa, Ont. was also a key contributor in the Regent Park community skate, where the team engaged the Toronto community in conjunction with the Toronto Police. The sport media major has also raised funds through his Against All Odds account by selling t-shirts supporting underserved communities and breast cancer awareness, and has been helping to organize the annual Golf 4 ALS tournament since 2014, raising funds for ALS Canada and Sunnybrook Hospital.

Even with the dedication and effort put forth these off-ice initiatives, Bollers also impressed in the rink during his foray into the OUA. The West Division all-star put his name on the map in a big way as the crème of the freshman crop in the region, en route to being selected as the West/Far West rookie of the year.

Despite this being his first season, Bollers saw his name tied atop the OUA leaderboard in goals (13) and ranked third in total points (25). He also showed up when it mattered most for the Rams, netting four game-winning tallies for the Toronto-based squad. With a knack for scoring, it became commonplace to see his name on the scoresheet, being held off it on only three occasions in his 15 games played. And while there were many memorable moments during his debut campaign, his crowning individual achievement this season came in the form of a six-point game (2G, 4A) against Lakehead on March 4.

M???? | Congrats to Kyle Bollers, winner of the @USPORTSca Dr. Randy Gregg award for community service!

Bollers is just the second @ramsmhockey player to earn this award ???? #weRramshttps://t.co/O2vPFhLldC

— Ryerson Rams (@ryersonrams) March 30, 2022

U SPORTS First Team All-Canadians:
F – Liam Hawel (StFX X-Men/Soo, Guelph, Kitchener 2015-20)
F – Mason Kohn (Windsor Lancers/Kitchener, Oshawa, Saginaw, 2013-18)
D – Nicolas Mattinen (Ottawa GeeGees/London, Flint, Hamilton, Oshawa, 2015-19)

U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadians:
F – Matthew Struthers (StFX X-Men/Owen Sound, North Bay 2015-20)
D – Justin MacPherson (Saint Mary’s Huskies/Niagara, Kitchener 2016-20)
D – Santino Centorame (StFX X-Men/London, Owen Sound 2012-17)
G – Luke Richardson (Queen’s Gaels/Kitchener Rangers, 2015-19)

U SPORTS All-Rookie Team:
F – Liam Hawel (StFX X-Men/Soo, Guelph, Kitchener 2015-20)
D – Justin MacPherson (Saint Mary’s Huskies/Niagara, Kitchener 2016-20)
G – Christian Propp (Laurier Golden Hawks/Barrie, North Bay, Soo, 2015-2020)

For complete U SPORTS men’s hockey year-end awards, visit usports.ca.