NEWS

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) today announced that Blayne Oliver (photo credit - Amy Deroche/OJHL Images) of the Trenton Golden Hawks has been named the recipient of the OJHL Fan Favourite Award.

The 21-year old native of Blenheim, Ontario has spent the past two seasons patrolling the Golden Hawks blueline and wins the award after receiving 38.2% of the total vote.  Always playing a hard and honest defensive game has endeared Oliver to not only his fans in Trenton, but also to his hometown fans in Blenheim, where he played Junior 'C', and in nearby Chatham, where he played Junior 'B'.

A product of the Chatham-Kent Cyclones Minor Midget 'AAA' program, Oliver made the jump to junior hockey in his hometown as a 16-year old in 2011-12.  The following year, he progressed to the next level, joining the Junior 'B' Chatham Maroons of the GOJHL and he would spend the next two seasons in Chatham, helping lead the club to the Conference Final in 2012-13 before falling to the London Nationals.

Picked-up by the Trenton Golden Hawks during the 2014 off-season, Oliver joined the Golden Hawks as an already seasoned rearguard and quickly made an impact on the club's blueline, earning an 'A' on his chest as one of the club's alternate captains.  Standing at 6', 195 lbs., he set career-highs in 2014-15 with 6 goals and 28 points in 54 regular season games played to finish third among the club's defencemen in scoring, while also contributing three game-winning goals.  His play helped the Golden Hawks capture their third East Division title in four seasons, while also finishing as runner-up for the overall OJHL regular season title to Aurora.  Following a heart-breaking defeat to Kingston in the North-East Conference Championship Series, Oliver would be voted as the runner-up for the 2015 Fan Favourite Award, leading his team and also being named a 1st Team All-Fan Favourite on defence.

Returning this season with his consistent, heady and fundamentally sound play, Oliver looked to help take his team to the next level.  Posting 24 points in 47 regular season games played, he would be selected as a member of Team OJHL Nieuwendyk, competing at the 2015 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that was held in Cornwall, Ontario.  Oliver posted a pair of assists in three games played to lead all blueliners on Team Nieuwendyk in scoring.  His play during the season had scouts taking notice and he would confirm a commitment to join the Hamilton College Continentals beginning with the 2016-17 NESCAC season.  

Once again, Oliver helped the Hawks capture another East Division regular season title, the fourth time in five seasons, as well as winning the overall OJHL regular season title for the second time in four years.  Achieving their goal, the Hawks also took the next step, by avenging last year's defeat to capture the North-East Conference Championship with a four game sweep of Kingston.  Thus far, Oliver has registered just three points, but more importantly has been a key member of the league's top defensive corps that has allowed just 20 goals against in 13 post-season contests.

The OJHL Fan Favourite Award is awarded annually to the player who is voted through online balloting as the fan’s favourite player.  The 2011-12 season marked the first-year the award was contested with balloting running each year from late January through to the end of March.  This season saw more than 54,000 votes counted for 170 different OJHL players, from 21 of 22 member clubs.
 

Andrew Lee of the Burlington Cougars has been named runner-up in the Fan Favourite balloting to Oliver.  

After joining the Cougars midway through last season, the East Amherst, New York native took over the starter's role with the club this year and helped lead Burlington's resurgence on the ice.  Posting a 22-14-0 record during the regular season, helped the Cougars rejoin the OJHL playoff picture, where Lee helped march the club to the South-West Conference Championship Series before falling to Georgetown.

Also announced were the OJHL All-Fan Favourite Teams based on position and total votes received:

1st Team All-Fan Favourite
Goaltender        Andrew Lee (Burlington Cougars)
Defenceman        Blayne Oliver (Trenton Golden Hawks)
Defenceman        Nick Campoli (North York Rangers)
Forward        Tyson Bruce (Markham Royals)
Forward        Mitch Emerson (Trenton Golden Hawks)
Forward        Danny Hanlon (Trenton Golden Hawks)

2nd Team All-Fan Favourite
Goaltender        Stefano Durante (Cobourg Cougars)
Defenceman        Justin Bean (Wellington Dukes)
Defenceman        Jack Zielinski (Kingston Voyageurs)
Forward        David Thomson (Burlington Cougars)
Forward        Tim Nicksic (Buffalo Jr. Sabres)
Forward        James Allen (Lindsay Muskies)

Below is the list of top vote-getters from each individual OJHL member club:

Aurora Tigers            Spencer Herbst        
Buffalo Jr. Sabres        Tim Nicksic
Burlington Cougars        Andrew Lee            
Cobourg Cougars        Stefano Durante
Georgetown Raiders        Daniel Hardie            
Kingston Voyageurs        Jack Zielinski
Lindsay Muskies        James Allen            
Markham Royals        Tyson Bruce
Milton Icehawks        Jakob DeVincentis        
Mississauga Chargers    Brandon Yeamans
Newmarket Hurricanes    Dalton Ewing            
North York Rangers        Nick Campoli
Oakville Blades        Eric Holland            
Pickering Panthers        Troy Paquette            
St. Michael’s Buzzers        Mark Paolini
Stouffville Spirit        Conor McCollum        
Toronto Jr. Canadiens    Brendan Bonello
Toronto Patriots        Mario Ferraro            
Trenton Golden Hawks    Blayne Oliver
Wellington Dukes        Justin Bean            
Whitby Fury            Jake Durham

2015-16 OJHL Award Winners
Award            Winner                Runner-Up                
Top Scorer        Luc Brown (WEL)        Zach Evancho (BUF)
Top Goaltender        Daniel Urbani (TRE)        Andrew Masters (GEO)
Executive        John McDonald (TRE)        Mark Jooris (BUR)
Volunteer        Jodi Lanzarotta (MAR)        Vivienne Bridgeford (AUR)
Trainer            Joe Aiello (COB)        Sarah Ditmars (TRE)
Humanitarian        Stefano Durante (COB)        n/a
Most Improved        Luc Brown (WEL)        Ryan DaSilva (STO)
Coach            Mark Jooris (BUR)        Greg Walters (GEO)
Scholastic        Andrew Court (GEO)        Ryan Garvey (OAK)
Top Prospect        Matthew Cairns (GEO)        Josh Dickinson (GEO)
Gentlemanly        Brendan Jacome (GEO)        Ryan Taylor (WHI)
Defenceman        Patrick Kudla (OAK)        Brennan Roy (COB)
Goaltender        Andrew Masters (GEO)        Daniel Urbani (TRE)
Rookie            Jack Jacome (GEO)        Mark Rozanov (NEW)
MVP            Luc Brown (WEL)        Daniel Urbani (TRE)
Fan Favourite        Blayne Oliver (KIN)        Andrew Lee (BUR)

Previous OJHL Fan Favourite Award Recipients
Year            Winner                Runner-Up                        
2014-15        Cole Bolton (KIN)        Blayne Oliver (TRE)
2013-14        Stuart Fierheller (LIN)        Michael Casale (KIN)
2012-13        Travis Dermott (NEW)    Adrian Ignagni (STM)
2011-12        Andrew Doyle (STO)        Christian Finch (STO)