NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2016
NOJHL announces award change
SUDBURY, Ont. – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League announced Wednesday a correction in the Wayne Chase Memorial Award, which goes annually to the qualified netminder with the lowest goals-against average during the course of the regular season.
The award was originally presented to Brendon Gordon of the Soo Thunderbirds, however following the league’s final regular season game, which was a make-up contest between the Thunderbirds and Elliot Lake Wildcats, that was held after the NOJHL awards were announced, it raised the minimum amount of minutes played a goaltender required to be eligible for the honour.
That late contest saw the overall league average for the minimum amount of minutes played to qualify for the award go up to 1,080 from 1,020, which was the case on the day the awards were announced.
Thus unfortunately, after that final make-up game, Gordon completed the regular season with 1,052 minutes played and fell 28 short of league required minimum.
With the updated minimum minute totals, the lowest goals-against average award will now be presented to Kirkland Lake Gold Miners netminder Tyler Mazzocato.
In 22 appearances the 17-year-old rookie, who hails from Kirkland Lake, finished with a league-best 2.12 average along with a 16-2 record and a .923 save percentage along with one shutout.
Mazzacato qualified for the award with 1,219 total minutes played, which was the 11th highest total among NOJHL goaltenders this season.
The NOJHL apologizes to Brendon Gordon and the Soo Thunderbirds for the error that led to this unfortunate set of circumstances.
NOJHL playoff action resumes tonight on three fronts as the Soo Eagles host the Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. at Pullar Stadium, while Kirkland Lake entertains Powassan and Elliot Lake is at Rayside-Balfour in a pair of 7:30 p.m. starts.
All NOJHL postseason contests are available online at FASTHockey.com.
