Latest news with #DefencemanoftheYear
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Defenceman Fournier re-signs for Cardiff Devils
Gleason Fournier has signed a new deal with Cardiff Devils. It will be the Canadian defenceman's seventh campaign with Devils having returned to the Welsh capital at the start of the 2024-25 season. Fournier, 33, originally joined midway through the 2015-16 season, moving from the Alaska Aces in North America. He established himself as one of the best defencemen in the history of the team. Fournier's best season came in 2018-19 when he led all EIHL (Elite Ice Hockey League) defencemen in goals, assists and points - putting up 27 goals and 54 assists for 81 points in 72 games. Devils sign American defenceman Estes from Odense Cardiff Devils re-sign forward Olischefski Ex-GB boss Thompson takes over as Cardiff Devils head coach It led to Fournier being voted on to the EIHL's First All-Star Team and named EIHL Defenceman of the Year. He left Devils in 2019-20 when the Covid pandemic cut the season short and spent four years playing across Europe. "Gleason has been an elite player in this league for many years, I'm thrilled to be working with him this upcoming season," said Devils head coach Paul Thompson. "We will be relying on him heavily in all situations. We are lucky to have him in a Devils jersey once again."
Global News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Global News
4-goal 1st period leads London Knights to Game 1 win in Western Conference Championship
A day after being named OHL Defenceman of the year, Sam Dickinson put up four points as the London Knights knocked off the Kitchener Rangers 5-2 at Canada Life Place on April 25, 2025. Dickinson had two goals and two assists on the night to lead the way offensively for London. The Knights lead the best-of-7 series one game to none. The game wasn't all on the up and up for London as captain Denver Barkey left the game with an apparent leg injury with 3:51 remaining in the third period. The Knights talked a lot in the week leading up to Game 1 about being ready having not played a game for eight days while Kitchener was playing every second day in their comeback series victory over Windsor. Story continues below advertisement The players heeded their own advice as they came flying into the first period. Landon Sim scored 2:08 into the open period by redirecting a Cam Allen pass past Jackson Parsons and into the Ranger net. London made it 2-0 just one minute and seven seconds later the 2025 OHL Defenceman of the Year Sam Dickinson bashed home his own rebound for his fifth goal of the playoffs. View image in full screen Sam Dickinson and Kasper Halttunen of the London Knights celebrate a goal in Game 1 of the OHL's Western Conference Championship series. Jim Van Horne / 980 CFPL Less than two minutes after that a delay of game penalty led to a Knights power play and Kasper Halttunen hammered in one of his patented one-timers from the top of the left faceoff circle to give London a 3-0 lead. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Two big right pad saves from Knights goalie Austin Elliott on Jack Pridham and Luca Romano preserved the lead in the middle portion of the first period, and then with 10.2 seconds remaining, Dickinson did it again as he scored on a shot from the high slot and London took a 4-0 advantage to the dressing room. Story continues below advertisement The teams traded goals in the middle period as Blake Montgomery flew down left wing and cut to the net to to give the Knights a 5-0 lead with 4:09 remaining on the clock. Romano gave Kitchener their first goal of the series less than two minutes later on a pass from Tanner Lam and London led 5-1 through 40 minutes. Romano's second of the game at 10:24 of the third period made the score 5-2. Rangers forward Christian Humphries left the game after being hit hard by Halttunen behind the Kitchener net in the first minute of the game and did not return. The play was reviewed by the officials and the check was called legal and no punishment was handed out to Halttunen. London outshot the Rangers 41-24. The Knights were 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Sam Dickinson named OHL Defenceman of the Year Sam Dickinson was named the Ontario Hockey League Defenceman of the Year on April 24 after putting up the best offensive season by a D-man in London Knights history and also leading the entire league in plus-minus. Dickinson recorded 91 points in the regular season and was a plus-64. Story continues below advertisement 'It's obviously a huge honour,' said Dickinson. 'I have so many people to thank, from everyone with the London Knights to my teammates to my family. Dickinson becomes the eighth Knights defender to earn the Max Kaminsky trophy joining Evan Bouchard, Danny Syvret, John Erskine, Bob Halkidis, Rick Green, Rob Ramage and Brad Marsh. Marsh and Ramage were co-winners in 1978. Up next London and Kitchener will play Game 2 of the Western Conference Championship on Sunday, Apr. 27 at 4 p.m., at Canada Life Place. Coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.
Global News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Global News
London Knights Sam Dickinson named OHL Defenceman of the Year
Sam Dickinson was taken 11th overall in the NHL Entry Draft in 2024. One day people may wonder what took National Hockey League teams so long to call his name. Dickinson was named the Ontario Hockey League Defenceman of the Year on April 24 after putting up the best offensive season by a D-man in London Knights history and also leading the entire league in plus-minus. Dickinson recorded 91 points in the regular season and was a plus-64. 'It's obviously a huge honour,' said Dickinson. 'I have so many people to thank, from everyone with the London Knights to my teammates to my family. Dickinson joins a long list of distinguished players and Hall of Famers who have earned the honour. Story continues below advertisement Names like Larry Murphy and Al MacInnis headline the Max Kaminsky Trophy over the years. Dickinson didn't exactly find the position naturally from a young age. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In fact, he was close to trying to find something else other than hockey to play after being cut from a travel team for the third year in a row. That's when the coach offered him a pair of goalie pads. 'My journey to get to defence was pretty long,' laughs Dickinson. '(After not making the team) I was told they needed a backup goalie and I figured since it hadn't worked out so far that maybe I'd try out goalie. I was 10 or 11 years old and I was still figuring out whether or not I wanted to play hockey.' Dickinson stuck it out in net for the entire season and it pushed him in a new direction. 'After my one year of goalie I swore to myself that I'd never strap the pads on again and I've been true to that to this day,' Dickinson admits. 'After that I played defence for a year and then forward for a couple of years and was finally moved back to defence full time when i was 14 or 15.' Could playing so many positions have led to his high-end ability to see the game? Story continues below advertisement 'I don't know that I was thinking the game too well at that point,' smiles Dickinson. 'I was just skating around, trying to get the puck and put it in the net.' An unconventional path but given where that path has taken him, no one would want to change a thing. Dickinson is the eighth London Knight to be honoured as the league's best defenceman. The most recent Knight to win the Max Kaminsky trophy was Evan Bouchard in 2019. Danny Syvret, John Erskine, Bob Halkidis, Rick Green, Rob Ramage and Brad Marsh are the other London names on the trophy. Marsh and Ramage were co-winners in 1978. Dickinson and the Knights are preparing for Game 1 of the OHL's Western Conference Championship series on Friday, Apr. 25 at 7 p.m., at Canada Life Place. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
With junior season over, could Flames top prospect Zayne Parekh be on his way to Calgary soon?
The Saginaw Spirit are out of the playoffs. And like clockwork, the speculation has begun about how soon Zayne Parekh might arrive in Calgary to join the Flames. The 19-year-old defenceman, selected ninth overall in last year's NHL Draft by the Flames, saw his OHL season end on Saturday night when the Spirit allowed four third period goals to the Erie Otters, who eliminated them in five games. About an hour before the end of the game, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman stoked the fires when he said he believes the Flames had a plan in place to bring their star blueline prospect to Calgary if the Spirit were eliminated. The most intriguing prospect in the Flames pipeline, Parekh is coming off a spectacular season in the OHL – the Herald's Wes Gilbertson's lengthy profile of Parekh was published Friday and can be read here. After winning the CHL's Defenceman of the Year award in 2023-24, his draft year, he did even more this past season, recording 33 goals and 74 assists in the regular season and becoming the first defenceman since Bobby Orr – yes, that Bobby Orr – to record 30 goals in two consecutive seasons on the Ontario major-junior circuit. Parekh signed an entry-level deal with the Flames in the fall so could join the team at any time now that the Spirit have been eliminated. While he didn't light the world on fire during training camp, the organization is high on his potential and his puck-moving, high-tempo style could help a Flames group that has struggled to score. daustin@
