2021-22 AUS men's hockey major awards and all-stars announced

STFX's Liam Hawel named MVP and rookie of the year

(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2021-22 AUS men's hockey major award winners and all-stars as selected by the conference's seven head coaches following regular season play.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (Kelly Trophy): Liam Hawel, STFX University

The Atlantic University Sport men's hockey most valuable player for the 2021-22 season is Liam Hawel of the STFX X-Men.

A first-year forward from Arnprior, Ontario, Hawel played in all 24 games for the X-Men this season. In his AUS debut, he led the conference points (37), goals (18) and assists (19) and had the second-most goals and the third-most points in the country. Hawel finished the 2021-22 season with a plus/minus of +16.

Led by Hawel, the X-Men finished the regular season in second place with a 17-5-1-1 record, and recorded the most goals per game (4.25), total goals (102) and assists (172) of any team in the AUS.

In addition to being named AUS MVP, today Hawel is honoured as the 2021-22 AUS rookie of the year and as a first team all-star.

He now becomes the AUS nominee for the U SPORTS Senator Joseph A. Sullivan trophy as the nation's top player. UNB's Philippe Maillet is the most recent player from the AUS to be named national MVP. He won the award in 2016-17.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (A.J. MacAdam Trophy): Liam Hawel, STFX University

The Atlantic conference rookie of the year and recipient of the A.J. MacAdam Trophy for the 2021-22 season is STFX forward, and AUS MVP, Liam Hawel.

A 6'4" forward and business student from Arnprior, ON, Hawel is also a 2021-22 first team all-star.

Before joining the X-Men, Hawel played five years in the OHL and, most recently spent 2020-21 with AHL's Laval Rocket. He was also a member of the 2016-17 U18 national team, competing in the IIHF U18 World Championships in Slovakia.

The X-Men completed the AUS regular season in second place, with a 17-5-1-1 record, earning a bye to the semifinal round of the 2022 Subway AUS Men's Hockey Championship.

Hawel is the first STFX player to be named the AUS rookie of the year since Michael Kirkpatrick in 2011-12. He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS rookie of the year award.

AUS players earned the national honour the last three consecutive seasons—with Saint Mary's Mitchell Balmas in 2019-20, Moncton's Étienne Monpetit winning it in 2018-19 and UNB's Kris Bennett earning it in 2017-18.

MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER (Don Wells Trophy): Joe Gatenby, University of New Brunswick

In his third season with the UNB REDS, defenceman Joe Gatenby has been chosen as the Atlantic University Sport most sportsmanlike player and recipient of the Don Wells Trophy.

A business student from Kelowna, BC, Gatenby played in 23 games for the REDS in the 2021-22 regular season, recording two goals and eight assists while picking up just six minor penalties.

He is the sixth player from UNB to be named the AUS' most sportsmanlike player and the first since 2017-18 when Randy Gazzola won the award.

Gatenby now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS R. W. Pugh Award. Gazzola was also the last AUS player to win this award.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (The Godfrey Award): Matt Welsh, Saint Mary's University

The 2021-22 recipient of the Godfrey Award for student-athlete community service and AUS nominee for the prestigious Dr. Randy Gregg Award is Matt Welsh of the Saint Mary's Huskies. Named for Dr. Bill Godfrey, this award is given annually to the player who best represents the spirit of intercollegiate hockey by his leadership both on and off the ice and by his conduct throughout the season.

A first-year goaltender from Halifax, NS, Welsh is a player-ambassador for Hockey Gives Blood, an organization that promotes the need for blood, plasma and stem cell donation in partnership with Canadian Blood Services. As part of this volunteer role, he helps to organize blood drives and raises awareness of the organization and its mission. In 2020 he was given the Dayna Brons Honorary Award for an individual in the hockey community who exhibits outstanding dedication towards patients who rely on blood and stem cell products in Canada. 

Welsh also continues to foster a strong relationship with the Children's Wish Foundation, taking time to tour young cancer survivors around his team's facilities. Saint Mary's head coach Tyler Naugler calls him "an exceptional role model for all youth he has come in contact with."

On days off, Welsh can be found sharing his passion and expertise with the next generation of goaltenders in Nova Scotia as a volunteer goalie coach with youth minor hockey. A commerce student aiming to pursue an MBA, he's been named to the Dean's list and is an Academic All-Canadian.

Welsh is the first Saint Mary's Huskies player to take home the Godfrey Award since Marc Rancourt in 2008-09. He now becomes the AUS nominee for the Dr. Randy Gregg Award.

The most recent players from the Atlantic conference to earn the honour were Acadia's Liam Maaskant in 2019-20 and UNB's Randy Gazzola in 2018-19.

COACH OF THE YEAR (Bob Boucher Trophy): Chris Donnelly, Dalhousie University

In his 10th season leading the Dalhousie Tigers' men's hockey team, Chris Donnelly has been chosen by his peers as the 2021-22 AUS coach of the year.

After finishing the 2019-20 season in seventh place, with an 8-19-1-2 record, this year Donnelly guided the Tigers to finish third in the conference, with an 11-11-1-0 record.

In the 2021-22 regular season, Dalhousie scored an average of 3.35 goals per game, had the second-best penalty kill percentage in the league (84.7%) and second-highest save percentage (.903). The Tigers also led the conference with four short-handed goals.

Donnelly is the first Tigers coach to win the Bob Boucher Trophy since Fabian Joseph in 2000-01. He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as the U SPORTS coach of the year.

STFX's Brad Peddle is the most recent Atlantic conference recipient of the national honour, he was named U SPORTS coach of the year in 2015-16.

2021-22 AUS ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

First Team All-Stars
G – Reilly Pickard, Dalhousie (3^rd year, Halifax, NS)
D – Justin MacPherson, Saint Mary's (1^st year, East Gwillimbury, BC)
D – Santino Centorame, STFX (4th year, Mississauga, ON)
F – Liam Hawel, STFX (1^st year, Arnprior, ON)
F – Matthew Struthers, STFX (1^st year, Milton, ON)
F – Austen Keating, UNB (1^st year, Guelph, ON)

Second Team All-Stars
G – Rylan Parenteau, UNB (4th year, Saskatoon, SK)
D – Joe Gatenby, UNB (3^rd year, Kelowna, BC)
D – Adam McCormick, UNB (1^st year, Waterville, NB)
F – Nathaël Roy, Moncton (1^st year, Lévis, QC)
F – Troy Lajeunesse, UPEI (3^rd year, Niagara Falls, ON)
F – Samuel Dove-McFalls, UNB (3^rd year, Montreal, QC) 

All-Rookie Team
G – Émile Samson, Moncton (1^st year, Lévis, QC))
D – Justin MacPherson, Saint Mary's (1^st year, East Gwillimbury, ON)
D – Adam McCormick, UNB (Waterville, NB)
F – Liam Hawel, STFX (1^st year, Arnprior, ON)
F – Matthew Struthers, STFX (1^st year, Milton, ON)
F – Austen Keating, UNB (1^st year, Guelph, ON) 

The 2022 Subway AUS men's hockey playoff action continues tonight, when the Dalhousie Tigers and Moncton Aigles Bleus face-off in the deciding game of their best-of-three quarterfinal series. The winner of this series will join the SMU Huskies in heading to the semifinals.

The best-of-three AUS semifinals series' will begin on Friday, March 18 with both UNB (1) and STFX (2) hosting.

Both AUS finalists will earn berths at the 2022 U SPORTS University Cup, hosted by Acadia University, March 31-April 3.

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