Truro, N.S. (December 3, 2023) – The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is pleased to name the awards for November with the Top Forward, Top Defenseman, and Top Goaltender.
Top Goaltender – Nicholas Sheehan (Edmundston Blizzard) – The 20-year-old from Moncton, N.B. finished fourth in minutes played in November with 365 and fifth in saves made with 205 despite time away from the Blizzard as part of the Eastlink North team at the Eastern Canada Cup in Trenton, Ontario. Sheehan led all goaltenders with a 2.14 goals against average for the month to go with a 4-2-0-0 record, .937 save percentage, and one shutout. After losing his first two starts of the month for the Blizzard, Sheehan rebounded by allowing just six goals in four games. That included back-to-back 30-save efforts in wins over Miramichi and Grand Falls, a 44-save effort in a 4-1 win over Fredericton on the 25th, and a 24-save shutout against West Kent on the 30th. For the season, Sheehan is second to Miramichi’s Jack Flanagan with a 2.29 goals against average, though he’s played seven more games than the Timberwolves netminder. Sheehan leads the league with eleven wins and is second to Flanagan with a .930 save percentage. At the Eastern Canada Cup, Sheehan was 0-1-1, allowing five goals over four periods of play.
Honourable Mention – Jack Flanagan (Miramichi Timberwolves) – The 18-year-old from Saint John, N.B. posted a record of 2-2-0-1 in November for the Timberwolves with a .938 save percentage. His 2.16 goals against average was second only to Edmundston’s Nicholas Sheehan. Standout performances for Flanagan last month included 22 saves in a 1-0 loss to Grand Falls on the 4th, 33 saves in a 4-1 win in Edmundston on the 10th, and 29 saves in a 4-2 home win against Campbellton on the 25th. At the end of November, Flanagan sat first in the MHL goals against average at 2.20 in ten games played and first in save percentage at .933.
Top Forward – Spencer Caines (Valley Wildcats) – The Wildcats forward from Pasadena, Newfoundland, who just turned 18 on December 1st, was tied with Fredericton’s Slava Melikov for the most points scored in the month of November with 21 in ten games. He was held off the scoresheet just once. Caines’ 14 assists led all players in the MHL. He also had three powerplay goal, and notched two game-winning goals. To the end of November, he leads all rookies in points (28) and assists (17), and is top five in goals, powerplay points, and game-winning goals. Caines is also tied for 16th in the overall scoring race.
Caines started the month with back-to-back game-winning goals on home ice for Valley. On November 3rd, he had four goals, including one on the powerplay, in a 9-5 win over Pictou County. The following night, Caines had one goal and four assists in a 7-6 win over Fredericton. Caines then continued to rack up assists with nine in the next seven games. He finished the month with two powerplay goals and one assist in a loss to Summerside on the 29th.
Honourable Mention – Slava Melikov (Fredericton Red Wings) – The 20-year-old from Moscow, Russia had eight goals and thirteen assists in ten games in November, helping the Red Wings make up some ground in the Eastlink North and end the month with the most goals scored as a team in the division. His fifteen-game points streak was snapped on November 23rd, but he had points in each of the last three games of the month. Seven of his ten games played were multi-point efforts, with five being three-point games. Melikov had seven goals and five assists in the first four games of November. He also had one assist as part of team Eastlink North at the Eastern Canada Cup in Trenton, Ontario. At the end of the month, Melikov was tied with Pictou County’s Ben Mercer for 8th in the overall scoring lead.
Top Defenseman – Coen Strang (Amherst Ramblers) – The 19-year-old from Moncton, N.B. had ten points in seven games in November. Strang’s four goals for the month led all defensemen and he added six assists for the Ramblers, with points in every game played. Strang was a member of team Eastlink South at the Eastern Canada Cup in Trenton, Ontario where he registered one assist in four games. He had the overtime winner on November 4th against Yarmouth, which started a stretch of goals in three straight games and four goals over a five-game period. To the end of November, Strang leads all MHL defensemen in points (24) and goals (6), and is tied with Truro’s Simon Mullen for the lead in assists (18). He’s second to West Kent’s Olivier Beaudoin for powerplay points among blueliners with eleven on the season. Strang is one of three defensemen with two powerplay goals this season.
Honourable Mention – Travis Badcock (Miramichi Timberwolves) – The 19-year-old from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland was tied with Pictou County’s Drew Bailey with the most points scored in November among defensemen with eleven. Badcock had two goals for the month and his nine assists were tied with Bailey for the most among MHL blueliners. Standout performances on the scoresheet include one goal and two assists in an overtime loss to Edmundston on the 19th. Badcock was also a member of team Eastlink North at the Eastern Canada Cup in Trenton, Ontario, where he had two powerplay assists in four games.
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Media Contact:
James Faulkner
Director of Communications
Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL)
jfaulkner@themhl.ca