NEWS

Former OJHL netminders Charlie Finn, Jimmy Sarjeant and Matt O'Connor have been named to the 2014-15 Watch List for the second annual Mike Richter Award as college hockey's top goaltender.

Charlie Finn - Colgate University Raiders
Kingston Voyageurs, 2010-13
pictured left - photo credit: Jim Riswold/Colgate Athletics

Born on January 16, 1993 and growing up in North Vancouver, B.C., Charlie Finn joined the Kingston Voyageurs in 2010 after playing his major midget season with the Vancouver NW Giants ‘AAA’ organization. Finn helped lead the Giants to the Mac’s Midget championship, earning 1st Team All-Star and Top Goaltender honours, as well as the BC Major Midget League title before falling to Red Deer two games to one in the Pacific Regional Championship. With his father’s family native to the Kingston-area (Napanee) and his brother’s attending Queen’s University, Finn moved-in with his aunt when he got the call from the Vees and after appealing to Hockey Canada to play out of province (due to his being under the age of 18), quickly proved his worth to the club and has been nothing short of sensational ever since.

During his rookie OJHL season in 2010-11, Finn would lead all netminder with a 1.92 goals against average, also the sixth best average in league history (dating back to 1992-93), to cop Top Goaltenders honour in the league and be named a South-East Conference 1st Team All-Prospect. Finn finished with a 23-4-3 record, 4 shutouts and a scintillating .937 save percentage. After facing injury disappointment early in 2011-12, he returned and would lead the sixth place Vees on a remarkable playoff run that saw them knock off both the heavily favoured Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks before finally running out of steam in the East Division Final versus Whitby.

The 2012-13 season saw nothing but the same from the netminder. Finn was named the runner-up for Goaltender-of-the-Month in October and February, while winning the award in January.  He once again dominated the league statistically, topping many of the goaltending categories, including his 2.15 goals against average, .941 save percentage and eight shutouts.  He was awarded his second OJHL Top Goaltender Award for leading the league in goals against average, won the first-ever Best Goaltender Award and was named the 1st Team All-Star, Finn was instrumental in the club's second half surge that saw them break into the CJHL's Top 20 rankings after going 17-2 from mid-December until the end of the year.  His final record on the season was 25-10-4, the OJHL's fourth best win total, compiled in 39 games played, while his 1,348 saves was also fourth most and he played the seventh most minutes at 2,374:04.  Finn's efforts backstopped the Vees to the fifth best penalty-killing unit, allowing just 33 goals while shorthanded for an 85.53% efficiency.  The club would post a league-high 10 game winning streak on the season, as well as a nine game winning streak on the road, helping them finish second in the East Division to the regular season champion Trenton Golden Hawks.  Finn was the starting goalie for Team Canada East at the 2012 World Junior 'A' Challenge held in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and was selected to play for the OJHL East Division All-Stars at the 2012 Central Canada Cup, but would miss the event.  After marching the Vees to the North-East Conference Championship Series, Finn's OJHL career ended following a game seven overtime loss to Newmarket.

Jimmy Sarjeant - Mercyhurst University Lakers
Newmarket Hurricanes, 2007-11
pictured middle - photo credit:  Vaughn Winchell/Mercyhurst Athletics

The Aurora, Ontario native joined the Hurricanes full-time in 2008-09 after playing two games as an affiliate the previous year.  During three full seasons with the Hurricanes, Sarjeant would dramatically improve upon his performance each year, lowering his goals against average from 3.35 to 2.20 to a stellar 1.97 in 2010-11.  The 1.97 GAA was the 14th best in league history to finish as runner-up as the Goaltender-of-the-Year and be named a North-West Conference 1st Team All-Star, while also posting a league best .937 save percentage.  The 2009-10 season saw Sarjeant led the Hurricanes to the CCHL title, before falling in six games during the OHA Buckland Cup Final to the Oakville Blades and he followed that up by leading his teammates to the OJHL regular season championship in 2010-11.

Matt O'Connor - Boston University Terriers
Upper Canada/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots, Burlington Cougars, 2008-10
pictured right - photo credit:  Steve McLaughlin/BU Athletics

The Toronto, Ontario native joined the OJHL as a 16-year old member of the then Upper Canada Hockey Club in 2008-09, posting respectable numbers despite playing on one of the leagues poorer clubs.  The following year, O'Connor would improve on his numbers and was moved to the first place Burlington Cougars at the trade deadline to solidify their netminding for the playoff drive, ultimately falling to the eventual CCHL champion Newmarket Hurricanes in the semi-final.  Following two seasons with Youngstown in the USHL, O'Connor made the jump to NCAA Division I hockey this season as a freshman with the Terriers.

Below is the official press release & list from the Let's Play Hockey website (www.letsplayhockey.com):

Let’s Play Hockey and the Herb Brooks Foundation announced today the 20 goalies named to the watch list for the 2015 Mike Richter Award, which annually honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division I men’s hockey. The winner of the second annual award will be announced at the 2015 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Boston.

In alphabetical order, the goalies on the watch list for the 2015 Mike Richter Award are:

Candidate    School    Year

Thatcher Demko #    Boston College    Sophomore
Charlie Finn    Colgate    Sophomore
Christian Frey    Ohio State    Sophomore
Michael Garteig    Quinnnipiac    Junior
Jon Gillies #    Providence    Junior
Lukas Hafner    Western Michigan    Junior
Jake Hildebrand #    Michigan State    Junior
Brody Hoffman    Vermont    Junior
Cole Huggins    Minnesota State    Sophomore
Zane McIntyre    North Dakota    Junior
Steve Michalek    Harvard    Senior
C.J. Motte #    Ferris State    Senior
Zach Nagelvoort #    Michigan    Sophomore
Matt O'Connor    Boston University    Junior
Steve Perry    Clarkson    Sophomore
Joel Rumpel *    Wisconsin    Senior
Jimmy Sarjeant #    Mercyhurst    Senior
Colin Stevens #    Union    Senior
Adam Wilcox *    Minnesota    Junior
Clay Witt *    Northeastern    Senior

Goalies on the Mike Richter Award watch list are chosen by members of Let’s Play Hockey, utilizing both past performance and future potential. Freshmen are not included on the first list of the season. Additions and deletions to this list, including freshmen, will be made as the 2014-15 season unfolds. The inaugural winner of the Mike Richter Award was Connor Hellebuyck of UMass Lowell.

Candidates for the Mike Richter Award will be determined by nominations from all 59 NCAA Division I men’s hockey head coaches. The finalists and winner will be selected by a committee of coaches, scouts and members of the media.

Criteria for the Mike Richter Award:

- Candidates must display outstanding skills on the ice
- Candidates should be in good academic standing at an NCAA college or university
- Consideration should be given to academic achievement and sportsmanship
- Candidates must comply with all NCAA rules; be full-time students at an NCAA college or university; and complete 50 percent or more of the season
- Consideration should be given to the candidate’s activities in the community

About Let’s Play Hockey: In its 43rd season and based in Minneapolis, Let’s Play Hockey is the longest-running hockey newspaper in the U.S., serving the largest hockey market in the nation. Let’s Play Hockey is published 29 times a year - weekly during the hockey season and monthly during the offseason.

About the Herb Brooks Foundation: The Herb Brooks Foundation is dedicated to growing the game of hockey and giving the game back to the kids. Founded in 2003 by Dan Brooks and Kelly Brooks Paradise, Herb’s family and friends created the foundation to preserve his legacy by continuing his life’s work by growing the game by “making hockey fun for kids and letting them learn to love the game the way we did.”