CALGARY, Alta. – The Canadian Junior Hockey League announced Tuesday the names of the five finalists for its Most Valuable Player Award for the 2021-22 campaign.
Each of the nominees were determined through a voting process completed by the CJHL’s nine-member leagues, for their respective contributions over the course of the regular season.
The following are the five finalists for the CJHL MVP, which are listed alphabetically, by league:
RYAN MCALLISTER, (F) BROOKS BANDITS (AJHL): McAllister, the AJHL scoring champion was also named the 2021-22 AJHL MVP and was the recipient of the Alberta Old Time Hockey Players trophy. … With 139 points (57G, 82A), the Western Michigan University commit is the first AJHL player to score over 130 points in a season since the 1997-98 season. … McAllister (London, ON) broke the Bandits franchise record for most points in a season and is just the second Bandit to score 50 goals in a season. He averaged 2.3 points-per-game, recorded 42 multi-point games and completed the season with a 12-game point streak. … The third-year Bandit was named as the 2021-22 Team MVP and Top Scorer. McAllister, 20, was selected as the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Player of the Month twice, the CJHL 1st Star of the Month in October 2021. … Received the Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week award four times, and was the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game 10 times.
With files from Charla Flett, V.P., Communications (AJHL)
SEAN JAMES, (F) SMITHS FALLS BEARS (CCHL): James put together an excellent 2021-22 regular season for Smiths Falls. … He is the definition of Most Valuable to his team. … He finished with 19 more points than his closest teammate, while also leading the entire CCHL in scoring by 17 points. … Which is not bad for a young man playing his first season of Junior A hockey. …. His 34 power play points topped the CCHL as did his 24-man advantage assists and his 1.69 point-per-game average. … James also produced 29 multi-point games. … Statistics: GP: 55; G: 33; A: 60; PTS: 93
With files from Sean Marcellus, Director of Operations (CCHL)
BRADEN FISCHER, (F) VIRDEN OIL CAPITALS (MJHL): As voted on by all 12 coaches in the MJHL, Fischer was awarded the Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh Award as league MVP for his outstanding play during the 2021-22 regular season. … As a 19-year-old, Fischer finished third overall in MJHL scoring (74PTS), was second in goals (35) and eighth in assists (39). … Fischer was also named an MJHL First Team All-Star. … He was a driving force on a young Oil Capitals team that started slow and made large improvements throughout the season. … “Braden is an exceptionally talented player, and we see that day in and day out on the ice. He continues to want to get better and works so hard on the ice and in the gym. What people maybe don’t see is that he is an outstanding person and teammate. He is absolutely the kind of person we want to build our program around and he has been an excellent role model for our younger guys. We are so very grateful that Braden chose to come and continue his junior career here in Virden. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.” – Oil Capitals head coach & general manager, Tyson Ramsey.
With files from: Kyle Prystupa, Programming & Communications (MJHL)
DALTON BANCROFT, (F) TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS (OJHL): Dalton Bancroft played in 100% of his Trenton Golden Hawks’ games this season and pretty much led the OJHL in scoring from wire-to-wire. … The winger led the 21-team OJHL during October – the opening month on the schedule – with 26 points (8 goals/18 assists) in 13 games. … Two of his tallies were game-winners. … He was named Warrior OJHL South/East Conference player of the month. … He was no one-month wonder however. … The son of former NHLer Steve Bancroft finished tied for the OJHL scoring title with 92 points (37 goals/55 assists) while playing in all of his team’s aforementioned 54 games. … His goals included five while shorthanded and five on the Trenton power play. … Bancroft committed to the NCAA D-I Cornell University Big Red in Ithaca, N.Y., beginning with the 2022-23
season in late October. … Most valuable? “Dalton has done everything we have asked of him,” said Trenton GM/Head Coach Peter Goulet.
With files from Jim Mason, Director of Communications (OJHL)
RAYCE RAMSAY, (G) HUMBOLDT BRONCOS (SJHL): The commitment to the University of Toronto (USPORTS/OUA) continues to add to his accolades after his remarkable season yielded an SJHL single-campaign record 41 wins, a feat the Saskatoon native was able to accomplish in 50 starts. … Ramsay’s goals-against average of 1.98 and save percentage of .930 were tops in the league among true starters, and his minutes played were a full 388 more than his closest competitor. … A 2001-born goaltender, Ramsay broke into the league as a 17-year-old with the Broncos in the 2018-19 SJHL season and would parlay that earned spot into a full season in the Western Hockey League in 2019-20 with the Kamloops Blazers. … The now-21-year-old elected to return to Humboldt for his final junior season and did not skip a beat, helping to lead Humboldt to the No. 2 seed in the league and a Top 20 CJHL ranking throughout the campaign.
With files from Logan Fraser, Director of Marketing & Communications (SJHL)
Earning honourable mention status for the CJHL MVP in 2021-22 were the following:
Maxime Gagné, (F) Collège Français de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ); Josh MacDonald, (F) Summerside Western Capitals (MHL); Cooper Foster, (F) Soo Thunderbirds & Maxime Collette, (F) Dryden GM Ice Dogs (SIJHL).
Photo credit: icelevel.com