CALGARY, Alta. – With another league-by-league offering from the 10 that comprise the Canadian Junior Hockey League, the latest CJHL League of the Week features the Maritime Hockey League.
President: Steve Dykeman
Website: themhl.ca
Twitter: @theMHL
REGULAR SEASON: On-ice action saw perennial MHL power, the Summerside Western Capitals skate to their second-straight regular season crown in the Maritimes and third in five campaigns.
Summerside topped the table in the 12-team MHL with a league-best record of 42-7-1-2.
The Western Capitals also wrapped up their year slotted second in the final CJHL Top 20 Rankings for 2019-20.
TOP SCORERS: It was a record-setting campaign for the MHL’s leading point getter Brodie MacArthur.
The Summerside forward not only led all skaters in his league in offensive production with 108 points in just 51 outings on 45 tallies and 63 helpers, he also established a new MHL mark for most career points in history.
His total of 357 surpassed the old record, which stood for 30 years and was held by former CJHL Player of the Year Duane Saulnier.
Finishing second in MHL scoring this season was MacArthur’s Western Capitals teammate Kallum Muirhead.
He too surpassed the century plateau with 102 points on 36 goals and a league-best 66 assists.
Behind him was the duo of Ben Higgins (Truro Bearcats) and Brock McLeod (Edmundston Blizzard) as that pair provided 81 points apiece.
The MHL’s leading point-getter among defenceman was Edmundston’s Evan White, who paced all blueliners with 54 points in 52 contests, getting four markers and setting up 50 more.
White’s efforts helped him earn MHL Top Defenceman honours.
Right behind White in D-man numbers was Ian Smallwood from the South Shore Lumberjacks, who was just one point behind with 43 while leading all rearguards in goals with 19.
TOP TENDERS: For a third consecutive campaign, Dominik Tmej of Summerside led all MHL netminders in goals-against average with a 2.25 GAA.
Tmej also paced every league stopper in save percentage for a third straight year, finishing 2019-20 with a solid .927 save mark.
Jack Grant of the Fredericton Red Wings was next in the MHL in both average and save mark at 2.60 and .919.
Following Grant was Andrew MacLeod, who manned the nets for the Pictou County Weeks Crushers as he posted a 2.76 GAA along with a .914 SV%.
Tmej and rookie Justin Sumarah (Yarmouth Jr. A Mariners) tied for the league lead is shutouts with four apiece.
MHL MENTIONS: In the past five seasons alone, under the guidance of head coach Billy McGuigan, he has led his Western Capitals to an MHL-best 174 victories, averaging just under 35 a year in that span. … Summerside boasted the best power play percentage in the league at 29.9. … Pictou County led the way in penalty kill proficiency at 87.1%. … MHL MVP Brodie MacArthur sported a league-high 20-game point streak during the season while Western Capitals teammate Carson MacKinnon finished the regular season riding a 16-game heater. … Brodie MacLeod (Edmundston) and William Basque (Campbellton) featured 15-game point runs during the year. … The League’s highest winning streak was 13, put up by SWC. … MHL Award Winners: MVP: Brodie MacArthur (Summerside); Top Defenceman: Evan White (Edmundston); Top Goaltender: Dominek Tmej (Summerside); Rookie of the Year: Zach Biggar (Summerside); Character Player of the Year: Matt Barron (Yarmouth); Coach of the Year: Billy McGuigan (Summerside); Regular Season champion: Summerside Western Capitals.
With files from James Faulkner, Director of Communications (MHL)