SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Members of the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals won five of seven Maritime Junior Hockey League major awards for the 2019-20 regular season.
The award winners were announced on Thursday.
Forward Brodie MacArthur is the player of the year for the second consecutive season while Dominik Tmej has been selected as the goaltender of the year for a third consecutive campaign. Defenceman Zach Biggar was voted the rookie of the year and Billy McGuigan was chosen coach of the year for the second time.
Tmej and Alec MacVicar captured the Young/Knickle Trophy for top goaltending duo as the pair allowed a league-low 145 goals. This is the second year in a row the Caps have won this award after Tmej and Daniel Thompson formed the team’s goaltending tandem a year ago.
Also receiving major awards were the Edmundston Blizzard’s Evan White, defenceman of the year, and Matt Barron of the Yarmouth Mariners was named the MHL character player of the year.
Player of the year
MacArthur, a 20-year-old Summerside native, had a season to remember, becoming the league’s all-time scoring leader with an assist against Grand Falls on Feb. 27. MacArthur’s 108 points this season give him 357 for his MHL career.
MacArthur, who was held pointless in just three games all year, registered 48 points in 20 games from Oct. 10 to Dec. 8. That stretch included 14 straight games with at least one goal.
Goaltender of the year
Tmej, who is from Bradenton, Fla., had a record of 25-4-1 (won-lost-overtime losses) while posting a 2.25 goals-against average and a league-leading .927 save percentage. Tmej tied with the Fredericton Red Wings’ Jack Grant for most wins – 25.
Rookie of the year
Biggar started the season as a 16-year-old and finished third in rookie scoring with seven goals and 35 assists in 47 games. His assist total was tops among all first-year players.
Biggar led the MHL with 15 assists and 18 points in man-advantage situations. He finished fourth in defencemen scoring.
Coach of the year
McGuigan guided the Capitals to a 42-7-3 (won-lost-overtime losses) record and a five-point improvement over last year’s squad, which also finished atop the regular-season standings.
Summerside was in the top 10 of the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings from December on and peaked at No. 2 to close out the season.
McGuigan previously was named coach of the year during the 2012-13 season.
Young/Knickle Trophy
MacVicar, who was acquired from the Yarmouth Mariners in the off-season for an eighth-round pick in the 2020 MHL Entry Draft, went 17-3-2 in 22 games.
The 19-year-old Dartmouth, N.S., native had a 3.30 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.
The Summerside Western Capitals open the Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs on Saturday.
The Capitals, who finished first overall in the 12-team loop at 42-7-3 (won-lost-overtime losses), will host the Fredericton Red Wings (28-19-5) in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastlink North Division semifinal series.
Game time at Eastlink Arena is set for 7 p.m.
