HALIFAX – Guillaume Asselin, a third-year right-winger from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, was named the CIS player of the year in men’s hockey Wednesday night.
Asselin, a business administration student from Quebec City, became only the third Patriotes standout to merit the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy since the award was first presented back in 1970. Forward Alexandre Tremblay and goaltender Luc Bélanger had been honoured in 2003 and 1999, respectively.
Asselin was nothing short of sensational in his third season with UQTR as he led the country in goals (27), points (47) and game-winning goals (6) – three of them in overtime – in 28 league games. His MVP campaign included a 14-game point streak and a remarkable stretch of 10 goals in five contests from Jan. 16 to Feb. 6 that saw him notch back-to-back hat-tricks. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward also led his team in shots on net (113) and ended conference play with a superb plus-23 rating.
“Guillaume is fully deserving of this honour,” said head coach Marc-Étienne Hubert. “He is a passionate individual who invested a lot of efforts this year both on and off the ice, and his hard work has paid off. His consistency was a big part of his success this season.”
Other CIS award winners announced during the All-Canadian Gala held at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel were UNB rearguard Jordan Murray, who was named the defenceman of the year; Saskatchewan netminder Jordan Cooke, selected as the best goaltender; Carleton forward Brett Welychka, who received the Clare Drake Award as rookie of the year; Calgary forward Elgin Pearce, who claimed the R.W. Pugh Award for the second straight season; St. Francis Xavier bench boss Brad Peddle, who captured the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as the TIMEX coach of the year; as well as StFX defenceman Nathan Chiarlitti, who merited the Dr. Randy Gregg Award recognizing his excellence in hockey, academics and community involvement.
The University Cup championship, hosted by Saint Mary’s University, gets under way Thursday at Scotiabank Centre and culminates Sunday at 6:30 p.m. AT (5:30 p.m. ET) with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports 2. Saturday’s semifinals are also live on Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports (12 noon & 4 p.m. AT).