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CANADIAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

Media Update

CJHL Spotlight: The CCHL

Release date : Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017

CALGARY, Alta. – With the Central Canada Hockey League’s regular season set to conclude on March 12, the three-time defending Bogart Cup champion Carleton Place Canadians secured their fourth straight regular season crown Friday with a 7-3 triumph over the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

The surging Canadians, have reeled off 13 consecutive victories and will once again be the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason. Their present 13-game run is the highest in the league since back during the 2013-14 campaign when CPC registered 18 straight wins. They also had a 15-game winning streak that same year.

Boasting a league-best 92 points and an equally impressive 46-12-0-0 overall record, Carleton Place continues as a model of consistency and are the only squad in the league who have yet suffer a loss in either overtime or in a shootout so far this season.

Under head coach and general manager Jason Clarke, Carleton Place has claimed three Fred Page Cups in a row and has won a combined 232 contests in the past five seasons.

Game action in the 12-team CCHL also remains highly competitive as each team remains in playoff contention heading to the home stretch.

NATIONALLY RANKED: The on-ice success of the Canadians also resonates on the national stage, as they were rated 11th in most recent Canadian Junior Hockey League Top 20 rankings.

Fellow CCHL members in the Cornwall Colts and Ottawa Jr. ‘A’ Senators, who currently sit second and third respectively in the CCHL standings, both garnered honourable mention status within the 132-team CJHL.

TOP SCORERS: Grant Hebert (Cumberland Grads) currently leads the CCHL in scoring with 75 points on 24 goals and a league-best 51 assists.

Next is Hawkesbury Hawks forward Charles Levesque who has reached the 70-point plateau, including 26 tallies.

Riding a four-game point streak has helped Nick Lalonde (Cornwall Colts) settle into the No. 3 slot in CCHL offensive numbers as his 28 markers and 39 helpers has raised his season totals to 67 points.

Rounding out the top five in league scoring with 65 points apiece are Grant Cooper (Cornwall Colts) and Brett Everson (Hawkesbury Hawks).

Pacing all CCHL defencemen in scoring is blueliner William Cullen (Carleton Place Canadians).

Cullen has scored 15 times and helped set-up 30 others for 45 points.

TOP NETMINDERS: Carleton Place netminder Connor Hughes has seen over 2,600 minutes of game action to date in 2016-17 and leads the league in wins, goals-against average and shutouts at 33, 2.04 and seven respectively.

Ian Andriano (Ottawa Jr. A Senators) is next in GAA at 2.32 and wins with 31.

Henry Johnson (Brockville Braves) and Nicholas Hodgins (Kemptville 73’s) share the CCHL lead in save percentage with the duo boasting a solid .928 save mark.  Both are also in the top five in average.

DID YOU KNOW: Carleton Place has played in three consecutive RBC Cup Canadian Jr. A Championships.

They finished as runner-up in both 2014 and 2015.

The last CCHL side to win the RBC Cup was the Pembroke Lumber Kings in 2011.

The Rockland Nationals also won the then Centennial Cup national title back in 1976.

COMMITMENTS: The CCHL boasts an impressive list on NCAA commitments.

Over 40 players who have seen action in the league will be off to play collegiate hockey in the U.S. heading into the next couple of seasons.

Another 10 have committed to Canadian university programs and have a few others who will be moving on to play major junior.

PROSPECTS: A pair of CCHL players has earned the attention of NHL scouts.

Defenceman Cameron Crotty (Brockville Braves) was tabbed 68th overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago while forward Bobby Dow (Kemptville 73’s) was ranked 115th in the mid-season rankings.

ABOUT THE CCHL
Commissioner: Kevin Abrams
V.P., Communications & Media Relations: Tony House
Defending champion: Carleton Place Canadians
Website: centraljuniorhockeyleague.ca
Twitter: @CCHLTier1

CCHL STATS PACK

CCHL STANDINGS (As of Feb. 25)
ROBINSON DIVISION	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	PTS
Carleton Place Canadians	58	46	12	0	0	92
Cornwall Colts	57	37	13	4	3	81
Hawkesbury Hawkes	56	33	22	0	1	67
Kemptville 73’s	57	30	23	2	2	64
Brockville Braves	58	30	25	1	2	63
Smiths Falls Bears	56	23	27	4	2	52
YZERMAN DIVISION	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	PTS
Ottawa Jr. A Senators	56	38	15	1	2	79
Nepean Raiders	59	22	32	5	0	49
Cumberland Grads	54	22	28	2	2	48
Kanata Lasers	59	21	32	3	3	48
Gloucester Rangers	55	19	30	3	3	44
Pembroke Lumber Kings	55	19	35	1	0	39

CCHL SCORING LEADERS (As of Feb. 25)
PLAYER	P	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
Grant Hebert	F	Cumberland	52	24	51	75
Charles Levesque	F	Hawkesbury	52	26	44	70
Nick Lalonde	F	Cornwall	51	28	39	67
Grant Cooper	F	Cornwall	53	25	40	65
Brett Everson	F	Hawkesbury	55	17	48	65
Jonathan Cyr	F	Hawkesbury	54	18	46	64
Connor Merkley	F	Carleton Place	57	28	35	63
Alex Row	F	Kemptville	57	24	38	62
Cole Busschaert	F	Smiths Falls	56	27	34	61
Matt Tugnutt	F	Kemptville	49	25	35	60
Paul Vella	F	Kanata	59	22	38	60
Andrew Dodson	F	Carleton Place	57	22	38	60

CCHL GOALTENDER LEADERS (As of Feb. 25) (Min. 2,000 minutes played)
GOALTENDER	TEAM	GP	W	L	OT	SL	SO	GAA	SV%
Connor Hughes	Carleton Place	45	33	10	0	0	7	2.04	0.921
Ian Andriano	Ottawa	47	31	11	1	1	2	2.32	0.915
Liam Lascelle	Cornwall	43	26	10	3	2	3	2.37	0.925
Nicholas Hodgins	Kemptville	42	23	14	1	1	5	2.4	0.928
Henry Johnson	Brockville	45	24	18	1	1	2	2.55	0.928

With files from Tony House, CCHL Vice-President of Communications & Media Relations