Truro, N.S. (March 12, 2025) – The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is pleased to name the awards for February and March with the Top Forward, Top Defenseman, and Top Goaltender.
Top Forward – Zachary Marquis (Truro Bearcats) – The 20-year-old from Lévis, Quebec led all players with fifteen goals and 24 points in eleven games over the final six weeks of the season, for a league-best 2.18 points per game. His four game-winning goals more than doubled his season total. Marquis was held scoreless in just one game and had six multi-point efforts. His best outing was a four goal, two assist night in a 6-4 win over Amherst on February 19th, becoming one of just five players this season with a six-point game. Marquis also had one goal and four assists in a 10-3 win over Yarmouth on February 8th and two goals and one assist in a 6-3 win over Summerside on the 21st. Marquis ended the regular season eleventh in scoring with 66 points, sitting fourth in goals with 36 and tied with three others for most game-winning goals with seven.
Honourable Mention – Lucas Canning (Pictou County Weeks Crushers) – The 20-year-old from Stellarton, N.S. had eighteen points in his final nine games of the season, including eleven goals which were second only to Truro’s Zachary Marquis. Canning also had seven assists since the start of February and was one of only a handful of players to average at least two points per game during that period. Canning had goals in six of his nine games, with four of those being multi-goal efforts. He had two goals and one assist in a loss to Summerside on the 17th and collected a hat trick by scoring the game-winning goal with five seconds remaining in regulation to beat Yarmouth 7-6 on the 20th. He had two goals in a 9-2 win over Amherst on March 6th and finished his regular season with two goals and three assists in a 5-2 win over Yarmouth on the 9th. Canning won the regular season scoring title with 87 points and had a league-best 53 goals.
Top Defenseman – Philippe Fauchon (Truro Bearcats) – The 21-year-old from Lévis, Quebec led all defensemen with seventeen points in eleven games from the start of February. Fauchon was held off the scoresheet just once during that period and ended the season on an eight-game point streak. He had six multi-point games, playing in all situations for Truro, including three assists in a 10-3 win in Yarmouth on February 8th. Fauchon had two assists in a win over Amherst on the 19th, two goals in a win over Summerside on the 21st, and two more assists in a win over Valley on the 22nd. He finished the season fifth in scoring among defensemen with 38 points.
Honourable Mention – Ryan Hopkins (Fredericton Red Wings) – The 20-year-old from Lunenburg, N.S. had two goals and five assists in twelve games for the Red Wings in February and March. One of the league’s best defensive players, Hopkins logged nearly 29 minutes per game during that stretch, according to analytics website InStat. For the season, Hopkins led all defensemen with sixteen goals. Half of those came on the powerplay, which ranked second behind Pictou County’s Drew Maddigan for blueliners.
Top Goaltender – Adam Lecours (Grand Falls Rapids) – The 19-year-old from Sherbrooke, Quebec led all MHL goaltenders with a .936 save percentage since the start of February. Lecours faced the fourth-most shots during that time frame, posting a record of 5-1-0-1 for Grand Falls with one shutout. His 2.41 goals against average was tied for third-best with Campbellton’s Adam Rouleau for goaltenders with at least three starts, helping the Rapids finish on a high note this season. He made at least 42 saves in three games, including a 48-save shutout on March 2nd over West Kent. For the season, Lecours played the third-most minutes and made the second-most saves in the MHL.
Honourable Mention – Austin Caley (Edmundston Blizzard) – The 19-year-old from Van Alstyne, Texas led the MHL with a 2.11 goals against average and a 6-0-0-0 record in February and March. Caley also posted one shutout and had a .913 save percentage after facing an average of 21 shots per game for a stout defensive team in the Blizzard. He bookended the final two months of the season with wins over Campbellton, making 31 saves in a 6-4 win on February 2nd and then a 26-save shutout on March 9th. Caley finished the season with a league-best 1.98 goals against average and .930 save percentage. He also tied Summerside’s George Gallant for the most shutouts this season with three.
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Media Contact:
James Faulkner
Director of Communications
Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL)
jfaulkner@themhl.ca