Having already won the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s most valuable player and player of the year awards this season, former Battlefords North Stars captain Layne Young has a chance to add a national accolade to his trophy cabinet.
The Frenchman Butte product, who will be moving up to U Sports next season to play with the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saskatoon, was announced as one of five finalists for the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s top forward award last week.
Young was dominant in his final campaign with the North Stars, as he led the team and the league in scoring with 35 goals, 72 assists, 107 points and a 1.88 point per game average.
He continued that pace in the playoffs as he had five goals and 10 assists in nine games, as he finished tied with MacGregor Sinclair for the most points in the North Stars post-season run with 15.
The pair also had a 1.67 point per game average in the playoffs, which ended in the semifinal round in five games against the Estevan Bruins.
Joining Young as finalists for the award are Chris Van Os-Shaw of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Spruce Grove Saints, Jasper Weatherby of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Wenatchee Wild, Dexter Kuczek of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg Blues and Andrew Petrucci of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Toronto Patriots.
Van Os-Shaw, who is from Regina, spent the previous two seasons in the SJHL with the Weyburn Red Wings and the Humboldt Broncos before being traded to the Saints in the off-season.
Three other SJHL players are nominated for national awards, which will be handed out during the RBC Cup national championship in Chilliwack, B.C. next week.
Nipawin Hawks teammates Declan Hobbs and Josh McDougall are finalists for the top goalie and top defenceman award respectively, while Humboldt Broncos netminder Jacob Wasserman has been nominated for the top rookie award.
Hobbs shared the SJHL goaltender of the year award with Kindersley’s Justen Close and Wasserman finished in a tie with Weyburn forward Cade Kowalski for the rookie of the year honours.
The CJHL will also be handing out their player of the year and coach of the year awards next week, but the finalists for those two trophies had yet to be announced as of press time.
