NEWS

The OJHL announced today that Stouffville Spirit alternate captain Alex Botten (photo credit - Michael DiCarlo/OJHL Images) has been named the Gongshow Gear North-East Conference Player-of-the-Month for October after leading the entire league in scoring throughout the month with 21 points in 10 games played.

Kicking off the year with a good start by notching eight points in seven September games, Botten turned his season into a great start during October, jumping up to third in the OJHL scoring race with his 15 assist, 21 point performance.  He would record multiple points in six of the Spirit’s ten games, leading the club to an 8-1-1 record on the month to move into second place in the North Division standings.  Botten tied an OJHL career-high with a five point effort during a 6-4 victory over Cobourg on October 13 and would record three-or-more points on four other occasions as well.  Tied for the OJHL lead with 23 assists, Botten is a key cog on the Spirit’s power play, recording seven power play assists throughout the month, while also notching the game-winning goal in a key divisional victory over Newmarket and a shootout-winner against Kingston earlier in the month. 

“To receive this award is a tremendous honour,” said the Spirit’s leading scorer.  “I had the opportunity to play with Christian Finch last season and saw the dedication and hard work he put into his career to achieve the goals he desired.  After all the hard work I put into my training this summer, some personal goals are beginning to happen.  I constantly trained five to six days a week, as well as working full time and I would especially like to thank my personal trainer this summer, Chris Goodman, for creating my meal plan and pushing me to get better every day.”

Botten continued by discussing his aspirations for the remainder of the season, “I am just very thankful for this award and the opportunity the Stouffville Spirit have provided me with this season.  Hopefully I can continue to play to the best of my abilities and achieve everything I would like to achieve, including another Buckland Cup and a chance at redemption for the Dudley Hewitt Cup.  The last achievement on my list at this time would be an NCAA Division I scholarship.”

Spirit General Manager Ken Burrows was thrilled that all of Botten’s hard work has paid off, “We are extremely proud of Alex’s effort and improvement over the past two seasons.  He is finally beginning to reach his full potential and truly believe that he can not only excel at this level, but play at the next level as well.  His work ethic has been second to none and he is a great example of a kid taking full advantage of an opportunity that he was given.”

Jan Kaminsky of the Wellington Dukes was runner-up to Botten as the OJHL North-East Conference Player-of-the-Month.  Kaminsky recorded 15 points in 10 games played while captaining the Dukes to a 6-3-1 record in October.
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Born on July 25, 1992, Alex Botten was born and raised in Sharon, Ontario, playing his minor hockey with the East Gwillimbury Eagles organization until 2003-04 when he made the jump to ‘AAA’.  He would spend the next six seasons playing ‘AAA’ with a variety of teams, including the Don Mills Flyers, Mississauga Rebels, Richmond Hill Stars and Barrie Colts.

Botten joined the junior hockey ranks as a 17-year old member of the Alliston Hornets Junior ‘C’ club in 2009-10.  After notching 30 points in 32 games during the regular season for the Hornets, the club went on to win the Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League title by downing Walkerton and then the OHA Junior ‘C’ Schmaltz Cup with a four games to two victory over Belle River.

His success in Alliston earned Botten an opportunity to join the Orangeville Flyers for the 2010-11 season and he would continue his successes at the next level, recording 11 goals and 25 points in 47 games played.  With the Flyers suspending operations following the season, Botten joined the nearby Stouffville Spirit, embarking upon yet another championship run.

Playing with a high-flying offensive power, Botten was a key contributor and would finish sixth on the club in scoring with 45 points in 37 games played.  Then, with injuries playing a key factor during the playoffs for the Spirit, he continued his steady improvement, finishing tied for seventh in playoff scoring with 24 points, as well as leading all scorers with four game-winning goals to help the Spirit capture the franchise’s first-ever OJHL Championship and Buckland Cup title with a six game series victory over Whitby.

About Gongshow Hockey, Inc.

In late 2002, three teammates from the Central Junior ‘A’ Hockey League celebrated a big win at a local Ottawa pub called Fathers and Sons.  A few cold ones later, and inspired by the distinct lifestyle hockey players lived, they had an idea to make some buckets with Gongshow Hockey stitched on the front for their hockey buddies to rock around town.

Slowly but surely, word began to spread through tight-knit hockey circles about a brand that accurately represented what hockey players were all about.  Soon, the lads found themselves teamed up with a roster of players united through their love and passion for the hockey lifestyle that they lived.

Today, the GSH boys feel excited and privileged to be part of such a powerful team that shares the goal of enjoying and spreading the Gongshow Lifestyle to hockey players all around the world…

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