Patriotes Lafrance, Badgers Roach bring home top divisional honours on the ice

Burlington, Ont. – After leading their respective divisions in scoring on the year, UQTR Patriotes Simon Lafrance (East) and Brock Badgers Jacob Roach (West) have also scored top honours therein, as their player of the year nods headline the award winners and all-stars from the 2022-23 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's hockey season.

Most Valuable Player (East) – Simon Lafrance, UQTR Patriotes



The top player for the conference's top regular season team takes home the East Division most valuable player honour.

After wrapping up the 2021-22 campaign by scoring the game-winning goal in the U SPORTS finale against Alberta, UQTR's Simon Lafrance picked up right where he left off. The OUA scoring champion for the 2022-23 season registered 16 goals and 22 assists for the Patriotes. His 38 total points in 23 regular season games put him at a pace of 1.65 points per contest, anchoring the top-ranked, high-powered Patriotes offence night in and night out.

A first-team divisional all-star as well, Lafrance made his mark in more ways than one this season. Coming through in the clutch, the third-year forward from St. Eustache, Que. collected four game-winning goals on the year – tied for first in the OUA therein – and even extended his game onto the international scene as a member of the gold-medal winning Canadian team at the FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, NY.

Proving to be a top performer in both the regular season and postseason, the top East Division player becomes the 11th UQTR men's hockey standout to take home the OUA honour.

Most Valuable Player (West) – Jacob Roach, Brock Badgers



In just his second year with the Badgers, Jacob Roach produced a season to remember, as the reigning all-rookie team member wraps up his sophomore campaign as the division's most valuable player.

Roach appeared in 26 games during the 2022-23 season, winning the OUA West scoring title with a division-best 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists). The second-year standout would rank third overall in the entire OUA, while finishing in a four-way tie for 13th in scoring across U SPORTS.

Highlighting the MVP-calibre season was a game on December 1st against York, wherein Roach netted his first career hat trick in an exciting 4-2 win over the Lions. In that contest, he also notched one of his four game-winning goals on the year. That contest also marked the first in what was an eight-game scoring streak for the dynamic offensive weapon, a stretch in which he tallied four multi-point games and 14 points overall.

Roach's scoring prowess would also help the Badgers to a 17-9-1-0 record, resulting in a third place finish and postseason appearance in the OUA West. And when the former St. Catharines Falcons standout was in the lineup, Brock's offence ranked second in the division in goals scored, as well as first in powerplay percentage and powerplay goals.

The sport management major from Brooklin, Ont. becomes the first Badgers player to take home player of the year honours for the program.

Defender of the Year (East) – Justin Bergeron, UQTR Patriotes



Justin Bergeron buoyed the back end for the defending Queen's Cup champions, and for his efforts on defence, takes home conference recognition.

The strong two-way player and first team all-star had already made a strong first impression in the OUA with an all-rookie team nod a year ago, but took his game to a new level as part of his award-winning 2022-23 campaign. The second-year rearguard was one of the most potent passers in the conference, leading the OUA in assists with 25 on the campaign. 13 of those helpers also came with the man advantage, second-best in the OUA, as the Magog, Que. native served as the quarterback of the Patriotes powerplay unit.

Bergeron, like his teammate and division MVP Lafrance, also made the trip to Lake Placid to suit up for Team Canada at the 2023 FISU Games, and helped power Team Canada to gold therein.

Defender of the Year (West) – Jake Gravelle, Western Mustangs



Jake Gravelle offered up a winning formula on the Western blueline this season, becoming the West Division's defender of the year in the process.

Despite playing on the back-end, Gravelle was one of the premier point producers in the division and conference as a whole. Ranking second in the conference with 24 helpers on the year, the second-year defender was an offensive anchor for the purple and white. To go along with his lofty assist totals, the King's College student from Callander, Ont. added four tallies, helping him carve out a place among the top-10 in points for the regular season with a ninth-ranked total (28).

Gravelle becomes the second member of the Mustangs program to collect the rearguard recognition and first since 2011-12.

Goaltender of the Year & Rookie of the Year (East) – Jonathan Lemieux, Concordia Stingers



What a debut between the pipes for Concordia's Jonathan Lemieux, who takes home multiple awards as part of his foray onto the varsity ice.

After joining the Stingers in September following a month spent with the Philadelphia Flyers rookie and main camp, Lemieux was a brick wall in net for the East Division standouts. With his 1.98 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, the Beloeil, Que. local backstopped the Stingers to a second-place spot in the division and had them as a consistent part of the national rankings. While his stats helped his team surge up the standings, they also shone among his fellow conference netminders, with Lemieux ranking first in the OUA (second in U SPORTS) in GAA and second in the conference in SV%.

All-told, the economics major produced 16 wins in his 21 games on the year, playing a major role in Concordia's exceptional defensive showing this season. The team as a whole gave up just 55 goals in 26 games (2.14 GAA), which was tops in the OUA, and was the best showing for the team since 1981-82 when they surrendered just 46 goals in 24 games.

Lemieux becomes the first Concordia netminder to earn goaltender of the year honours and the third rookie of the year recipient for the program.

Goaltender of the Year (West) – Nathan Torchia, Windsor Lancers



Nathan Torchia was nearly unbeatable for Windsor this season, not only backstopping the Lancers to team success, but to an individual accolade as well.

It was a busy season for the second-year goalie from Baden, Ont., as Torchia played over 1,321 minutes for the blue and gold, the second most in the OUA. His constant presence in net, however, was a big reason that Windsor finished tied atop the West Division with 39 points on the year, as he co-led the conference with 16 wins (alongside fellow goaltender of the year recipient Lemieux), to go along with just three regulation and three overtime losses.

Torchia's 2.04 goals-against average was good for fourth among his fellow provincial puck-stoppers, while his .936 save percentage paced the pack.

The sociology and criminology student joins former Lancers Jonathan Reinhart as the lone top goaltender honourees in program history.

Rookie of the Year (West) – Josh Van Unen, Lakehead Thunderwolves



A standout addition to the Lakehead team this year, left winger Josh Van Unen scores top rookie honours for the West Division.

Van Unen proved to be a team-first player in his first year with the Thunderwolves, possessing both high character and leadership qualities as a young student-athlete. His offensive ability combined with his defensive prowess established him an elite two-way player, as he made an immediate impact within his OUA tenure. His proficiency on both ends of the ice was a big reason why he paced the Thunder Bay forward group in ice time at just over 19 minutes per game.

On the scoreboard, the Kamloops, B.C. product finished third in the division in points among first-years with 20 and third amongst his fellow Thunderwolves as well. Of his nine goals on the year, five came via the powerplay, good for second in the OUA West, while two were of the game-winning variety.

In his 25 games played, meanwhile, the education student, who is the second Lakehead player to earn the first-year honour, finished at a 0.80 point-per-game pace.

Coach of the Year (East) – Marc-Étienne Hubert, UQTR Patriotes



After a year that ended in both conference and national titles, expectations were high for the UQTR Patriotes in 2022-23, and Marc-Étienne Hubert helped lead his team to reach those lofty standards.

The team's bench boss, for the second time in his tenure with the Patriotes, earned the East Division coach of the year selection after guiding his team to a 21-4-1-0 record. Hubert's squad got out of the gates quick with a seven-game winning streak to start the season, and they added a nine-game stretch of victories surrounding the holiday break as well, a stretch wherein they also had to manage multiple top players being away from the team at the FISU Games.

Helping them amass such a dominant season and a consistent spot among the top-three ranked teams in the country was an electrifying offence that led the OUA with 4.04 goals per game. The top team on the powerplay (27.9%) and second-best on the penalty kill (88.2%) also shone on the defensive end, en route to a stingy 2.26 goals-against per game (2nd in OUA).

The veteran coach from Chicoutimi, Que. also hit a personal milestone this season, collecting his 150th OUA win in a victory over Ontario Tech on November 25th.

Coach of the Year (West) – Andrew Wilkins, Lakehead Thunderwolves



The Thunderwolves made sure their howl was heard across the OUA, and helping to guide the regular season champs from the West was head coach Andrew Wilkins.

Wilkins, who in his fourth year with Lakehead becomes the first Thunderwolves bench boss to claim coach of the year honours, led his team to their first regular season division title since 2008. With an impressive 18-6-3-0 record, Lakehead proved to be a tough team to play against all season, but especially in the latter half, when the Pickering, Ont. native saw his side reel off a stretch of nine wins in 11 games.

The formula for Wilkins' team was a well-rounded one, as under his guidance, the team ranked third in goals per game (3.81), peppering the opposition with nearly 34 shots per contest, and finished in the top half of the league in goals-against average. They were also adept at drawing penalties with a second-best 129 powerplay opportunities, while staying out of the box themselves with the third-fewest times shorthanded.

Randy Gregg Award (East) – Duncan Campbell, Queen's Gaels



Duncan Campbell is a leader both on and off the ice for the Queen's Gaels.

The East Division Randy Gregg Award recipient and an alternate captain for the Kingston squad was great at volunteering his time away from the rink. The fifth-year forward actively helped with Good Food Box Kingston, a non-profit fruit and vegetable distribution program that provides monthly access to fresh produce boxes throughout the community and surrounding area.

Campbell, who carries a 4.0 GPA while attending teachers' college at Queen's, also works with a new Canadian youth group, spending time with Syrian refugees, talking to them about their transition to Canada and teaching them how to play road hockey.

On the ice, the Brandon, Man. product chipped in with four goals and four assists for the Tricolour, putting an exclamation point on his well-rounded efforts that helped him become the seventh Queen's player to receive the Randy Gregg Award.

Randy Gregg Award (West) – Kyle Bollers, TMU Bold



Kyle Bollers, the reigning rookie of the year, continued to shine both on and off the ice in his sophomore OUA campaign, taking home his second straight Randy Gregg Award.

Bollers, who takes home back-to-back all-stars honours as well, produced another productive season for the Bold. Despite only playing in 18 games, the sophomore forward finished fifth in league scoring with 30 points (12G, 18A), good for a per-game pace of 1.67. But as instrumental as the sport media student from Oshawa, Ont. is in-game, a notion that also made him a key member of the gold-medal winning Team Canada men's hockey team at the FISU Games, his impact runs even deeper beyond it.

Bollers continues to mentor/tutor, as well as help kids learn to skate through his Against All Odds Black Aces Learn to Play Hockey Program. He is always looking to empower youth from underserved communities, helping them to reach their educational goals. His involvement in the game continues as a volunteer coach with the 08 Reps AAA, and even extends to the Boys and Girls Club. With the latter, Bollers goes in weekly and plays floor hockey with the kids, often bringing along some of his fellow TMU men's and women's hockey players as well.

With the back-to-back recognition in tow, a member of the TMU program has now been awarded the recognition on three occasions.  

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award (East) – Mikisiw Awashish, McGill Redbirds



In his first season of OUA hockey, Mikisiw Awashish dressed for 22 of the team's 26 regular season games and was the team's seventh-highest scoring forward (10 points), but the impression he has left extends will beyond his on-ice efforts.

Hailing from Mashteuiatsh, Que., an Innu community near Chicoutimi, Awashish serves as a mentor/coach in the Mashteuiatsh Hockey Academy. Earlier this season, he spoke as a mentor to the Cree Bears hockey team when they visited Montreal from Mistissini Cree Nation and attended a McGill hockey game. The first-year civil engineering student was also recently the subject of a documentary by Radio-Canada as an inspiration for Indigenous teens in Quebec, for which a camera crew followed him for a game-day at his apartment, at the arena, and an in-depth look at his daily routine. He was also profiled by Caisse Desjardins in 2021 for National Day of Reconciliation, highlighting his presence as a leader in the Indigenous community.

Recruited from the QMJHL's Baie Comeau Drakkar, Awashish was the 2022 recipient of the league's Alec Reid Award, presented to a student-athlete that is most engaged in the community, and now becomes the inaugural East Division recipient of the OUA Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award.

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award (West) – Troy Williams, Lakehead Thunderwolves



Troy Williams has been named the inaugural recipient of the OUA West Division's Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award.

On the ice, Williams played top minutes on the Lakehead back end and was a standout on the Thunderwolves' penalty kill. But in addition to the leadership he brings to the team's special teams efforts and overall in-game play, he is also a tremendous leader, student, and individual.

As one of the initial members of the OUA's Black, Biracial, and Indigenous (BBI) Task Force/Committee, Williams has been a leading voice as a student-athlete within the conference. The fourth-year general arts student from Dryden, Ont. is an active member of the Lakehead Achievement Program, supporting access to post-secondary education by providing an opportunity to potential future students who experience socioeconomic barriers to obtaining post-secondary education.
Williams is also the first to volunteer on and off campus in supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion within Thunder Bay and the surrounding communities.  

True Sport Award (East) – Scott Walford, McGill Redbirds



An anchor on the ice for the McGill Redbirds, Scott Walford is the recipient of the OUA East True Sport Award.

A native of Coquitlam, B.C., Walford merited first team all-star honours and was among the leading point-getters among OUA defencemen. He produced 24 points (3G, 21A) on the year, and despite averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per game, he was only penalized twice, both of them minors.

A third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2017, Walford missed three league contests this season while helping Canada win gold at the 2023 FISU World University Games, a tournament in which he tallied five assists in seven games.

The economics major also earned academic all-Canadian status and made the Principal's Student-Athlete Honour Roll, and boasts numerous off-ice contributions. He organized team participation in a 'Run for the Cure' fundraiser in honour of his roommate's mother who passed away from cancer. The Redbirds alternate campaign also served as team mentor for freshmen and volunteered for a McGill Athletics 'thank-a-thon', calling donors to thank them for their support.

A high-character person who takes special consideration of his teammates and his role as a leader on the team, Walford espouses the values of honesty, integrity, and hard work, and in doing so, becomes the first McGill men's hockey player to be tabbed as the True Sport Award recipient.

True Sport Award (West) – Kyle Pettit, Western Mustangs



A well-rounded and respected member of the Western Mustangs is once again tabbed for the True Sport Award in the West.

In his second year as team captain, Kyle Pettit is currently finishing his Bachelor of Education at Western. From having a strong work ethic on and off the ice to promoting team play, camaraderie, and the team-first concept amongst his teammates, Pettit is a true leader for the Mustangs in every sense of the word, and takes home the conference honour for a second straight season as a result.

From a hockey perspective, Pettit has been one of the top centremen in the league during his tenure. Even though his offensive numbers don't jump off the page, he offers an all-around game unmatched by many, with a commitment to other aspects of the game, including on the defensive side. He has been Western's best in the faceoff circle at 62%, leads the team in shot blocks and plus-minus, and is also the Mustangs' top penalty killer.

Beyond the ice, Pettit has been an academic all-Canadian throughout most of his tenure and has helped with all of the team's campus and community initiatives. He is also a program leader for the summer Mustangs Hockey Academy.

The complete list of 2022-23 OUA men's hockey award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Most Valuable Player (East) – Simon Lafrance, UQTR Patriotes
Most Valuable Player (West) – Jacob Roach, Brock Badgers
Defenceman of the Year (East) – Justin Bergeron, UQTR Patriotes
Defenceman of the Year (West) – Jake Gravelle, Western Mustangs
Goaltender of the Year (East) – Jonathan Lemieux, Concordia Stingers
Goaltender of the Year (West) – Nathan Torchia, Windsor Lancers
Rookie of the Year (East) – Jonathan Lemieux, Concordia Stingers
Rookie of the Year (West) – Josh Van Unen, Lakehead Thunderwolves
Coach of the Year (East) – Marc-Étienne Hubert, UQTR Patriotes
Coach of the Year (West) – Andrew Wilkins, Lakehead Thunderwolves
Randy Gregg Award (East) – Duncan Campbell, Queen's Gaels
Randy Gregg Award (West) – Kyle Bollers, TMU Bold
Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award (East) – Mikisiw Awashish, McGill Redbirds
Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award (West) – Troy Williams, Lakehead Thunderwolves
True Sport Award (East) – Scott Walford, McGill Redbirds
True Sport Award (West) – Kyle Pettit, Western Mustangs

First Team All-Stars (East)
F – Simon Lafrance, UQTR Patriotes
F – Parker Aucoin, Carleton Ravens
F – William Rouleau, McGill Redbirds
D – Justin Bergeron, UQTR Patriotes
D – Scott Walford, McGill Redbirds
G – Jonathan Lemieux, Concordia Stingers

First-Team All-Stars (West)
F – Jacob Roach, Brock Badgers
F – Kyle Bollers, TMU Bold
F – Spencer Blackwell, Lakehead Thunderwolves
D – Jake Gravelle, Western Mustangs
D – Cole Thiessen, Brock Badgers
G – Nathan Torchia, Windsor Lancers

Second Team All-Stars (East)
F – Julien Tessier, UQTR Patriotes
F – Isiah Campbell, Concordia Stingers
F – James White, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
D – Jacob Paquette, Queen's Gaels
D – Kyle Havlena, Concordia Stingers
G – Alexis Gravel, UQTR Patriotes

Second Team All-Stars (West)
F – Franco Sproviero, Western Mustangs
F – Dan Walker, Waterloo Warriors
F – Anthony Stefano, Windsor Lancers
D – Kyle Auger, Lakehead Thunderwolves
D – Ryan Barbosa, Toronto Varsity Blues
G – Christian Propp, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

All-Rookie Team (East)
F – William Rouleau, McGill Redbirds
F – Félix Lafrance, UQTR Patriotes
F – Nick McCarry, Carleton Ravens
D – Samuel Desgorseilliers, Concordia Stingers
D – Maxime Blanchard, McGill Redbirds
G – Jonathan Lemieux, Concordia Stingers

All-Rookie Team (West)
F – Josh Van Unen, Lakehead Thunderwolves
F – Anthony Tabak, Guelph Gryphons
F – Connor Bowie, TMU Bold
D – Eric Van Impe, Western Mustangs
D – Colin Campbell, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
G – Cristian Cicigoi, Lakehead Thunderwolves