CALGARY, Alberta – Almost one-third of the 20 NCAA Division I men’s hockey student-athlete candidates nominated for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award in 2014-15 are former Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) players.
The CJHL boasted six former players on the list of candidates that were announced last week. Of the six candidates, three played in the OJHL, while one played in each of the AJHL, BCHL and QJHL. “We are extremely proud of the former CJHL players who continue to represent the quality of players both on and off the ice who advance from our leagues to higher levels, including the NCAA”, said Rick Morocco, Executive Director of the CJHL.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
The 20 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later this season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Boston, Mass. from April 9-11.
The list of CJHL alumni candidates are outlined below:
- Tanner Fritz, Forward, Ohio State University – AJHL
- Daniel Ciampini, Forward, Union College (NY) – OJHL
- Spiro Goulakos, Defenseman, Colgate University – QJHL
- Zach Hyman, Forward, University of Michigan – OJHL
- Matt Lorito, Forward, Brown University – OJHL
- Mark MacMillan, Forward, University of North Dakota – BCHL