STUDENT ATHLETES
For today's hockey players, the junior grind can be tough. Riding the bus around the province, meals on the road, and spending valuable training/practice time stuck in hotel rooms. This is what separates the CCHL from a number of other junior leagues around the country, close road trips, back in your own bed every night and more time to practice and train off the ice. Another major incentive of playing in the CCHL, and probably the most important one, you have more time to focus on your school work.
As good a job as the CCHL has done at helping develop players for the higher levels athletically, the league has also prepared a high number of student athletes who have gone on to be honored for their high level of academic success. Many of these student athletes have been recruited strongly by the NCAA's Atlantic Hockey Conference (AHC).
ATLANTIC HOCKEY CONFERENCE (AHC)
The AHC notes that it's success in the classroom is an important as it's success on the ice among the 11 member of institutions. Those 11 schools (Air Force, American International, Army, Bentley, Canisius, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Niagara, RIT, Robert Morris, and Sacred Heart bring their athletes to a high standard academically.
CCHL ALUMNI HAVING SUCCESS
During the 2014-15 school year there were a total of 33 former CCHL alumni skating with AHC programs, 26 of those individuals earned themselves Conference All-Academic Team honors.
AHC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Andrew Debricant
Joseph Shecter
Zac Zaremba
Brendan McGuire
Maurice Alvarez
Reilly Turner
David Bennett
Stephen Farrell
Cody Freeman
Philippe Drouin
Kyle Just
Matthew Zay
Chris Bodo
Dan Kolenda
Matt Chartrain
Phil Nasca
Tyler Akeson
Larry Smith
Derian Plouffe
Tyson Wilson
Jay Llewelyn
Ben Robillard
Andrew Pikul
Elias Ghantous
Jeff Carroll
Tim Moore
GRADUATING CLASS
A total of seven former CCHL players were graduates of the AHC this past season, three of whom are currently in line to play pro hockey during the 2015-16 season.
CODY FREEMAN
The former Nepean Raiders forward finished up his 4-year stay at Canisius College where he earned All-Academic Team honors in all 4 years of attending while majoring in Management. He had three straight double digit goal seasons and finished with a total of 10 postseason markers to his credit. He was recently added to the Protect List of the ECHL's Evansville Icemen, an affiliate to the NHL's Ottawa Senators. He made his debut with the Icemen late last season and skated in 8 games.
KYLE JUST
Just was an instrumental part of the Pembroke Lumber Kings hockey prowess from 2008-2011, helping them capture the National Championship (RBC Cup) in 2011. He had a very successful career at Mercyhurst College where he tied for the team lead in goals (13) and finished 2nd in team overall scoring (34) during his Senior season. Also to his credit he was named to the Conference All-Academic Team. He is currently on the Protect List of the ECHL's Rapid City Rush where he played 1 game last season.
MATTHEW ZAY
The Glendale, New York native spent one season in the CCHL where he won the RBC Cup with the Pembroke Lumber Kings in 2010-11. He would go on to be a difference maker with Mercyhurst University where he received the 2012-13 AHC Scoring Trophy, followed that up with AHC First Team honors in 2013-14 and was nominated for the Hobey Baker Trophy in his Senior Season. The Communications graduate is currently under contract with the AHL's Binghamton Senators where he will play during the 2015-16 season.
NEW RECRUITS
A total of ten CCHL players graduated to the AHC and are going into their Freshmen seasons.
ERIC ISRAEL – BROCKVILLE BRAVES
After back-to-back productive seasons, the offensive minded defenseman heads to Robert Morris University where he will look to continue his ability to chip in from the back-end. In 130 total games of CCHL action with the Braves, Israel posted 28 goals and 92 and was not just a force in the offensive zone but was responsible in his own end as well.
SEAN KING – BROCKVILLE BRAVES
Almost a point per game player over his three seasons of CCHL action between the Brockville Braves and Cornwall Colts, King is dangerous in all situations. He finished the 2014-15 season with 36 goals and 60 points, 10 of his goals came on the power play while 3 were netted shorthanded. He now joins a Niagara University team that has 11 other CCHL alumni on their current roster, he should feel right at home.
WES BAKER – CARLETON PLACE CANADIANS
Following a two year Junior B career with his hometown Strathroy Rockets of the GOJHL, Baker came over to Carleton Place and made an immediate impact. In his lone CCHL season he would find the net 26 times and finish with 53 points in 62 games. He would also go on to add another 4 goals and 9 points in the postseason as he helped the Canadians to an RBC Cup appearance. He now heads to Mercyhurst College with fellow CCHL alum and NCAA freshman Max Veronneau.
GUILLAUME THERIEN – CARLETON PLACE CANADIANS
Heading to Niagara University after helping back stop one of the top teams in the country for the past two seasons. Therien brings a high pedigree to the table as he played in back-to-back RBC Cup Tournaments and won two straight Fred Page Cups with the Carleton Place Canadians. He finished with a CCHL career regular season record of 56-12-4-2 while also posting a playoff record of 26-6-1-0. He will look to show his abilities as a Freshman this fall but will need to be patient as he will have plenty of competition surrounding him.
DEVIN CAMPBELL – CARLETON PLACE CANADIANS
Yet another fixture for the powerhouse Carleton Place Canadians this past season, Campbell has a verbal commitment to join Niagara University in the fall. The steady physical rearguard manned the Carleton Place blue line for 4 seasons, playing in more than 300 combined games over that span.
MAX VERONNEAU – GLOUCESTER RANGERS
Veronneau heads to Princeton University after an injury riddled 2014-15 season in Gloucester limited him to just 27 regular season games where he still managed 14 goals and 36 points. He would go on to add 3 goals and 4 points in 6 playoff games before the Rangers season would come to a close. Before his time with the Rangers, Veronneau won a league championship with the CCHL2's Ottawa Jr. Canadians, racking up 37 goals and 86 points in 58 total games as a 17-year old during the 2012-13 season.
ERIK BROWN – KEMPTVILLE 73'S
Brown's 30 goals and 69 points with the Kemptville 73's this past season were good enough to crack the CCHL Top 10 in both categories. The classic late bloomer was passed over in the OHL Draft following his Minor Midget season due to his lack of size. After 3 seasons between the Brockville Braves and 73's, Brown has added size as he is now listed at 6-2, 195 lbs. He heads off to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for his Freshman season where he will look to continue his continued strong development.
ALEXANDER SAVARD-BELANGER – OTTAWA JR SENATORS
The three-year standout with the Ottawa Jr. Senators heads to Canisius College where he will join another former CCHL goaltender in Reilly Turner who heads into his Sophomore season. Savard-Belanger had a strong final season in the CCHL where he had an overall record of 36-9-3-1 helping the Jr. Sens to the league semi-finals where they fell to the Pembroke Lumber Kings in 7 games.
BRANDON WATT – OTTAWA JR SENATORS
After dressing in over 300 games with the Nepean Raiders from 2010 until this past season, Watt was dealt to the Ottawa Jr Senators where he would show his worth in the playoffs by scoring 5 times in 11 games. The two-way forward will continue his hockey journey as he signed a Letter of Intent to suit up for Robert Morris University for the 2015-16 season, joining fellow Freshman Eric Israel.
FELIX CHAMBERLAND – PEMBROKE LUMBER KINGS
The 2014-15 CCHL scoring champion was an absolute force for the Pembroke Lumber Kings where he picked up 48 goals and 99 points in 61 regular season games before adding another 7 goals and 17 points in 13 playoff games. He now makes the jump to Canisius College, joining such CCHL alumni as Ottawa's Alex Savard-Belanger, and Cumberland’s Reilly Turner and David Bennett.
