Truro, N.S. (February 2, 2023) – Olivier Coulombe, of the Edmundston Blizzard, has been selected as the top forward of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) for January. The league also named its best defenseman, and top goaltender.
Top Forward – Olivier Coulombe (Edmundston Blizzard) – The 20-year-old from Montmagny, Quebec led the MHL with 21 points in January. Coulombe’s twelve goals was the most for the month, while his nine assists placed him in a tie for fifth in the league. Four of his goals came on the powerplay, and Coulombe collected game-winning goals in three consecutive games to give him a league-best nine on the season. Coulombe has played 23 games in the MHL and has at least one point in every one of them as the league schedule enters February.
He had one assist in a 3-2 loss to Summerside on the 7th before scoring a goal and adding the game-clinching goal in the shootout against Fredericton on the 8th. Coulombe had two assists in a 9-4 win over Grand Falls on the 12th and one goal and two assists in a 6-4 win against Valley on the 14th. He notched two goals in a 6-3 win in Campbellton on the 15th, before tallying back to back hat tricks. The first came on the 20th where he also had an assist in a 7-1 win in Valley, before his three goals on the 21st helped Edmundston beat Truro 5-4.
Honourable Mention – Trentyn Crane (Summerside Western Capitals) – The 20-year-old from Morden, Manitoba had sixteen points in nine games in January, with six powerplay goals and two game-winners. His ten goals for the month was second only to Edmundston’s Olivier Coulombe. Crane started January with nine points in four games from the 5th to 19th. He had one goal and one assist in the first two games before two goals and an assist in a 4-3 loss to Campbellton and two goals in a 3-2 home win against Fredericton. Crane also had three goals and an assist in a 6-4 win over Campbellton on the 21st.
Top Defenseman – Tyler Lee (Yarmouth Mariners) – The 19-year-old from Claremont, California had one goal and nine assists in seven games in January, helping the league-leading Mariners maintain their torrid pace on the season. Lee started the 2023 calendar with a bang, assisting on every Yarmouth goal in a 5-1 win over Truro on the 5th. He had one assist in back to back games on the 12th and 22nd before scoring once and adding an assist in a 6-4 win over Truro on the 27th. Lee finished his month with an assist on the 29th in a 4-1 win against South Shore.
Honourable Mention – Ed McNeill (Summerside Western Capitals) – The 20-year-old from Summerside, P.E.I. led all defencemen with twelve points in nine games for January. His ten assists were also the most among MHL blueliners for the month. McNeill’s best stretch on the scoresheet came in the second-half of January where he had two assists in three straight games from the 20th to 27th. He has a comfortable lead in points for defencemen with 54 on the season; 17 more than Miramichi’s Sam McKinney, and leads in goals, assists, powerplay assists, and powerplay points.
Top Goaltender – Keegan Warren (Yarmouth Mariners) – The 17-year-old from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador allowed just two goals in three starts in January, posting a 3-0-0-0 record, a 0.67 goals against average, a .974 save percentage, and one shutout. Entering February, Warren has won nine of his past ten starts overall. He leads all rookies with 13 wins on the season, a 2.06 goals against average, and a .922 save percentage. Warren made 18 saves in a 3-1 win over South Shore on the 7th, 30 saves in a 6-1 win over Valley on the 22nd, and had a 28-save shutout against Valley on the 28th.
Honourable Mention – Chad Arsenault (Summerside Western Capitals) – The 20-year-old from St. Raphael, P.E.I. played the third-most minutes of any goaltender in the MHL in January. He had a 4-2-0-0 record for the month with a 3.23 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and one shutout. Standout performances for the month include 47 saves in a 3-2 win over Edmundston on the 7th, and 41 saves in a 6-2 win in Edmundston on the 27th. His shutout was a 24-save effort over Grand Falls on the 5th.
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Media Contact:
James Faulkner
Director of Communications
Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL)
jfaulkner@themhl.ca