2009-10 OUA East major awards and all-stars announced

HAMILTON, Ont. - Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce its East major award winners and all-stars for men's hockey.

Francis Verreault-Paul (Mashteuiatsh, Que.) of the McGill Redmen is the 2010 East most valuable player. The second-year kinesiology and psychology student led all OUA players with 54 points and 25 goals this season, averaging two points per game in 2009-10. Verreault-Paul led the league with six game-winning goals and was second in OUA in power play goals with 10. He also tied four others with a league-high four hat tricks. McGill had the second-best record in OUA this season at 22-6-0.

McGill teammate Marc-Andre Dorion (Saint-Hubert, Que.) is the 2010 East defenceman of the year. Dorion led all OUA defencemen with 36 points, and was fourth among all OUA players with 29 assists. Dorion also netted seven goals. The Redmen as a team gave up a second-best 71 goals all season. Both Verreault-Paul and Dorion are also named East first-team all-stars.

The East rookie of the year is Andrew Marcoux (Rockwood, Ont.) of the Nipissing Lakers. On a team full of first-year players, Marcoux led the Lakers to a playoff berth in their inaugural season in OUA. Marcoux led all rookies with 23 goals, good for third among all OUA players. The sociology student also led all players with 11 power play goals. Marcoux headlines the East all-rookie team and is named a second-team all-star forward.

Francis Guerette-Charland (Victoriaville, Que.) of the UQTR Patriotes is the East most sportsmanlike nominee, given to the player who best combines outstanding play and sportsmanship. Guerette-Charland was one point shy of Verreault-Paul of the OUA points championship with 24 goals and 29 assists, while earning just 10 penalty minutes. He is also a first-team all-star forward.

Fourth-year captain Jeffrey Oke (Grand Bend, Ont.) of the RMC Paladins is the OUA East nominee for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Randy Gregg Award, given to the player who best exhibits outstanding achievement in hockey, academics and community involvement. The civil engineering student received the Jack C. Sargant memorial scholarship awarded annually to the RMC varsity athlete who demonstrates combined proficiency in academic standing, sportsmanship, leadership and athletic ability. Oke is actively involved in the community, including the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston, Ont., tutoring cadets in calculus, local food drives and environmental projects.

Graham Wise of the Ryerson Rams is the East coach of the year. Wise led the Rams to a 12-13-3 record for 27 points, good for sixth in the standings and their first playoff appearance in seven years. The Rams were one win shy of tying a school record. Wise is in his fourth season as Rams head coach. Wise last won OUA coach of the year honours in 1994-95 as head coach of the York Lions.

Joining Verreault-Paul, Dorion and Guerette-Charland as OUA East first-team all-stars are forward Alexander Picard-Hooper (Boucherville, Que.) of McGill, defencemen Eddie Snetsinger (Ajax, Ont.) of the Toronto Varsity Blues and goaltender Jean-Christophe Blanchard (Trois-Rivières, Que.) of UQTR.

East second-team all-stars in addition to Marcoux include fellow forwards Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.) of the Varsity Blues and Brandon MacLean (Burlington, Ont.) of the Carleton Ravens. Guillaume Chicoine (Dubreuilville, Ont.) of UQTR and Brendan Sherrard (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Varsity Blues are the second-team all-star defensive pairing in front of goaltender Alex Archibald (Ottawa) of the Ravens.

The OUA East all-rookie team is dominated by Queen's Gaels and Nipissing Lakers. Payton Liske (Welland, Ont.) and Jordan Mirwaldt (Winnipeg) of the Gaels join Marcoux as all-rookie team forwards, while Stephane Chabot (Rockland, Ont.) of Queen's and Josh McKinnon (Brackley Beach, P.E.I.) of Nipissing are the top rookie defensive pairing. Andrew Flemming (Quispamsis, N.B.) of RMC is the top rookie goaltender in the East.

West men's hockey major award winners and all-stars will be announced on Thursday.

2010 OUA EAST MEN'S HOCKEY MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

Most Valuable Player: Francis Verreault-Paul (McGill)
Randy Gregg Award Nominee: Jeffrey Oke (RMC)
Most Sportsmanlike Nominee: Francis Guerette-Charland (UQTR)
Defenceman of the Year: Marc-Andre Dorion (McGill)
Rookie of the Year: Andrew Marcoux (Nipissing)
Coach of the Year: Graham Wise (Ryerson)

FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS
Forwards
Francis Guerette-Charland (Victoriaville, Que.) - UQTR
Alexander Picard-Hooper (Boucherville, Que.) - McGill
Francis Verreault-Paul (Mashteuiatsh, Que.) - McGill
Defencemen
Marc-Andre Dorion (Saint-Hubert, Que.) - McGill
Eddie Snetsinger (Ajax, Ont.) - Toronto
Goaltender
Jean-Christophe Blanchard (Trois-Rivières, Que.) - UQTR

SECOND-TEAM ALL-STARS
Forwards
Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.) - Toronto
Brandon MacLean (Burlington, Ont.) - Carleton
Andrew Marcoux (Rockwood, Ont.) - Nipissing
Defencemen
Guillaume Chicoine (Dubreuilville, Ont.) - UQTR
Brendan Sherrard (Etobicoke, Ont.) - Toronto
Goaltender
Alex Archibald (Ottawa) - Carleton

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Payton Liske (Welland, Ont.) - Queen's
Andrew Marcoux (Rockwood, Ont.) - Nipissing
Jordan Mirwaldt (Winnipeg) - Queen's
Defencemen
Stephane Chabot (Rockland, Ont.) - Queen's
Josh McKinnon (Brackley Beach, P.E.I.) - Nipissing
Goaltender
Andrew Flemming (Quispamsis, N.B.) - RMC

- OUA -