NEWS

The Ontario Junior Hockey League’s 2012-13 regular season officially wrapped up this weekend with its first award winners being announced.

OJHL Regular Season Champion – Trenton Golden Hawks
OJHL Top Scorer – Tyler Gjurich, Buffalo Jr. Sabres (left - photo credit - Graeme Reid/OJHL Images)
OJHL Top Goaltender – Charlie Finn, Kingston Voyageurs (right - photo credit - Dave Powers/OJHL Images)

The Aurora Tigers, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, St. Michael’s Buzzers and Trenton Golden Hawks were champions of their respective divisions, while the Trenton Golden Hawks brought home the regular season crown for the first time in franchise history.  The Hawks captured their second consecutive East Division title on the strength of a 40-10-5 record for 85 points and a .773 winning percentage, clinching the number one seed for the duration of their playoff run.  Runner-up to Trenton was the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, who clinched top spot in the South-West Conference for the first time in franchise history, earning the position with their final victory of the regular season to beat out the defending OJHL regular season champion Georgetown Raiders.

Tyler Gjurich of the Jr. Sabres takes home the OJHL Top Scorer title, leading the OJHL with both 53 goals and 97 points in 53 regular season games played.  The rookie forward, who also tied for the league lead with four shorthanded goals, becomes the second member of the franchise to win the scoring title, joining Jeff Farkas of the Niagara Scenic, who led the Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League in scoring during the 1995-96 season with 112 points.  Oakville Blades playmaker Jonah Renouf finished as runner-up to Gjurich in the scoring race, recording 94 points on the season, including a league leading 65 assists, while former Jr. Sabre Shane Bennett of the Milton Icehawks finished as runner-up in the goal scoring race with 45 goals .

St. Michael's Buzzers' captain Patrick McCarron, who was named an OJHL 2nd Team All-Prospect last year, would lead the OJHL in scoring among defencemen, recording 9 goals and 58 points in 52 games played.  Alex D'Oliveira of the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots finished as runner-up to McCarron with 47 points, while former Buzzer Erlich Doerksen of the league-leading Trenton Golden Hawks topped all rearguards with 14 goals.

For the second time in three seasons, Charlie Finn of the Kingston Voyageurs took home Top Goaltender honours, leading all netminders with a 2.15 goals against average, as well as eight shutouts and a .941 save percentage in 39 games played.  Toronto Lakeshore Patriots backstop Joseph Pianta finished as runner-up to Finn with a 2.18 goals against average.

The 2012-13 OJHL playoffs begin on Monday, February 25, 2013 and the Conference Quarter-Final match-ups are as follows:

North-East Conference:                     (1) Trenton                  vs.       (8) Cobourg
                                                            (2) Aurora                    vs.       (7) Lindsay
                                                            (3) Kingston                 vs.       (6) Wellington
                                                            (4) Whitby                   vs.       (5) Newmarket

South-East Conference:                     (1) Buffalo                   vs.       (8) Burlington
                                                            (2) St. Michael's          vs.       (7) Toronto Jr. Canadiens
                                                            (3) Georgetown           vs.       (6) Toronto Lakeshore Patriots
                                                            (4) North York             vs.       (5) Oakville

Follow all the OJHL playoff action at www.ojhl.ca or watch it all on FASTHockey, www.ojhl.fasthockey.com.