Manitoba's Mike Hellyer named Husky-WHL Grad of the Month

by CWUAA Communications

Photo courtesy: Mike Lavoie / Lakehead University

EDMONTON - The Canada West Universities Athletic Association and Western Hockey League are pleased to announce that Manitoba forward MIKE HELLYER - #11 has been named the Canada West men’s hockey Husky-WHL Graduate of the Month for March 2010.

The third-year Brandon native, an alternate captain for the Bisons, is the fifth and final winner of the award for 2009-10, making this the first season since 1990-91 that a player from a different school won the award each time from October to March.

Hellyer is the ninth Bison to win the monthly prize going back to 1989, but the first Manitoba recipient since goaltender Krister Toews took honours in November 2007. This marks the 21st year of HUSKY-WHL awards, presented monthly to a graduate of the Western Hockey League who is playing on one of the seven CWUAA teams. Each winner, between October and March, receives a cheque for $500 from the WHL to go towards the cost of his education and a gift from HUSKY.

A total of 106 WHL grads were members of CWUAA teams in 2009-10, with another 34 scholarship recipients currently attending Canada West schools. The CIS, and Canada West men’s hockey in particular, have allowed these players to further their careers as well as their education at some of Canada’s finest academic institutions.

During March the 23-year-old Kinesiology major led the Bisons to a best-of-three semifinal series win over Saskatchewan, marking the first time in 16 years that a team other than Alberta and Saskatchewan made it to the conference final. Of note is that Manitoba never played a home game during the post-season. The Bisons forced the league championship to a third game, qualified for Nationals and even upset No. 2 seed McGill at the CIS tournament in Thunder Bay, Ont. For the month Hellyer had four goals and seven points in eight post-season games.

Playing at a consistently high level, the former Prince Albert Raider is relied on heavily as a top-line player and in both power-play and penalty-kill situations. In the Canada West semifinal in Saskatoon versus the Huskies, Hellyer scored two goals including the game-winner in the third and deciding game of the series. He had another outstanding series in the Canada West final against Alberta in Edmonton, and at the CIS national championship was selected Player of the Year in Manitoba’s big come-from-behind win against the No. 2 seed McGill Redmen. In the McGill game Hellyer scored twice, including the overtime game-winner.

HELLYER played four full seasons in the WHL from 2003-04 to 2006-07, all with Prince Albert. He racked up 54 goals and 89 assists for 143 points in 262 regular season contests, while making the post-season three of four years, where the 5’8’’, 175-pound forward scored three times and had 10 helpers in 28 appearances. Teammates with the Raiders included Kyle Chipchura of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, N.Y. Rangers tough guy Dane Byers, Calgary Flames draft pick Aki Seitsonen and long-time University of Regina forward Caine Pearpoint.

For his three-year CWUAA career Hellyer has played the maximum 84 conference games, scoring 25-39-64. In the conference playoffs he has 4-5-9 in 12 overall games and 2010 being his initial trip to Nationals.

HELLYER was one of two nominees for the March award, where he topped Alberta freshman goaltender Travis Yonkman in a conference-wide coaches’ poll. Coaches rank each nominee, first to last, but may not put in a vote for their own team’s nominee.

“HUSKY, proud sponsor of the WHL Education Program & the Canada West men’s hockey Graduate of the Month”

MANITOBA’S MIKE HELLYER IN MARCH
(with date, opponent, game result, G-A-P, +/- and gam e notes)

March 5 at Saskatchewan: L,5-2, 0-1-1, E, 4 shots
March 6 at Saskatchewan: W,4-0, 0-0-0, +1, 3 shots
March 7 at Saskatchewan: W,5-1, 2-0-2, +1, 4 shots, First Star
March 12 at Alberta: W,4-1, 0-1-1, E

March 13: at Alberta: L,2-1, 0-1-1, +1, 2 shots
March 14 at Alberta: L,4-2, 0-0-0, E, 2 shots
March 25 vs. McGill: W,5-4 (ot) 2-0-2, OT winner, Player of the Game
March 17 vs. UQTR: L,5-0, 0-0-0
TOTALS: 8 games, 4-3-7, Second in CW, T-3rd in CIS

All-Time University of Manitoba CWUAA Husky-WHL Graduates of the Month
Paul Deniset (F): Oct. 03, Jan. 05, Feb. 06
Karry Biette (F): Nov. 94, Jan. 95
Scott Laluk (D): Jan. 99
David Cameron (F): Nov. 02
Krister Toews (G): Nov. 07
Mike Hellyer (F): Mar. 10

About CWUAA
“Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of 13 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, the CWUAA produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games.”