NEWS

North York Rangers forward Gabriel Valenzuela (photo credit - Shawn Muir/OJHL Images) has confirmed his commitment to join the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers beginning with the 2015-16 Atlantic Hockey season.

Valenzuela would join the Milton Icehawks late in the 2011-12 season and although only with the club for a short-time, tasted immediate success, scoring goals in his first two junior games, while recording five goals and thirteen points in the final eleven games of the regular season.  .

Following a year away from the rink, the skilled playmaker returned in 2013-14, joining the North York Rangers.  Valenzuela picked-up where he had left off, starting the season with a  three game point scoring streak and going on to play all 53 regular season games for the club.  He finished the regular season with 10 goals and 34 points and then posted another six points in six post-season contests.

To say that he has been on a tear this season is an understatement.  Thus far this season, Gabriel Valenzuela has tallied points in all but one of the club's 20 games played, including an 11 game point scoring streak during October.  On the strength of 9 goals and 11 assists, the diminutive forward led the South-West Conference in scoring to earn Player-of-the-Month honours in October and recorded multiple points in all but two of North York's October match-ups.  Highlights of Valenzuela's month include back-to-back game-winning goals versus Ranger divisional rivals, St. Michael's and the Toronto Patriots, a hat trick-four point performance versus the nationally ranked Georgetown Raiders, and four consecutive two point efforts to finish the month.  Valenzuela currently is in the midst of a 12 game point scoring streak and sits second overall in the OJHL scoring race with 35 points in 20 games played.

Congratulations to Gabriel and best of luck as he closes out his final season of junior hockey!