Rangers’ Valenzuela named 1st-Team All-Star

February 26, 2015

6:09 AM EST

North York Rangers forward Gabriel Valenzuela has been named an Ontario Junior Hockey League Second-Team All Star, the league announced Thursday.

Valenzuela, 20, finished fifth in OJHL scoring in the regular season with 34 goals and 76 points, and was second in the league in power-play assists with 19.

A native of Brampton, he is committed to play for in Division I NCAA next year for Rochester Institute of Technology.

“I have been coaching different levels of hockey for about 30 years,” says North York head coach Mark Joslin, “and I am not sure that I’ve met a better all-around human being, hockey player, and teammate than Gabe.”

Valenzuela parlayed his strong production, competitiveness and skill in all three zones of the ice into appearances in the Central Canada Cup All-Star Tournament, as well as a chance to face Team Canada East in an exhibition game as part of a team of the top 1994-born players in the OJHL.

He played minor midget and midget in Brampton before joining the Milton Icehawks for the 2011-12 season. Valenzuela then come to North York after a year off, amassing 48 goals and 121 points over 115 OJHL contests in Ranger blue.

He was named captain of the Rangers this year after the season-ending injury to previous skipper Jeremy Szabo.

“His attention to detail and his work ethic are awesome,” added Joslin.

“Not only is he the most dynamic player on our team this year, but he is also the hardest working and the most focused. Nobody in the organization can dispute that, and everyday he comes to the rink he does whatever he can to be the best that he can be, and that makes him the player that he is.”

Please see league release below.

2014-15 OJHL ALL-STARS ANNOUNCED

“1st & 2nd All-Star Teams Named”

February 26, 2015, Mississauga, Ontario – The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced the OJHL First and Second All-Star Teams.

1st Team All-Star

G – Justin Kapelmaster (Trenton Golden Hawks)

D – Christian Lloyd (Trenton Golden Hawks)

D – Eric Williams (Aurora Tigers)

F – Adam Brady (Kingston Voyageurs)

F – Steve Hladin (Georgetown Raiders)

F – Brady Wiffen (Trenton Golden Hawks)

2nd Team All-Star

G – Andy Munroe (Aurora Tigers)

D – Braden Hellems (Trenton Golden Hawks)

D – Niko Kovachis (Toronto Patriots)

F – Zach de Concilys (Trenton Golden Hawks)

F – Alex Tonge (Kingston Voyageurs)

F – Gabriel Valenzuela (North York Rangers)

Goaltender – Justin Kapelmaster (Trenton Golden Hawks)

Playing his first season of junior hockey in Canada, Justin Kapelmaster lived up to his advanced billing, leading the Golden Hawks to the East Division title while finishing as runner-up for the OJHL Regular Season banner.  A native of Coral Springs, Florida, the lanky netminder was named runner-up as the OJHL Gongshow Gear Goaltender-of-the-Month twice early in the season (September, October).  Posting a 29-7-1 record in 40 games played, of which the win total ranked second in the OJHL, the netminder ranked highly in most statistical categories throughout the season.  He posted three shutouts, tied for seventh in the league, a 2.09 goals against average, tied for second among goalies, and a .925 save percentage that was also third best.  Kapelmaster’s efforts earned a spot on Team OJHL Hawerchuk, winning both games he played at the 2014 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge held in Toronto.

Defence – Christian Lloyd (Trenton Golden Hawks)

Joining his teammate on the 1st All-Star Team is defenceman Christian Lloyd, who broke-out offensively during his second season with the Golden Hawks.  One of the best conditioned athletes in the OJHL, the Oakville, Ontario native doubled his scoring from the previous year, finishing fourth on the club in scoring with 17 goals and 52 points in 51 games played, while also registering 83 penalty minutes and providing a physical edge from the back-end.  Lloyd’s blend of a hard, accurate shot, along with his playmaking abilities, combined to give him 52 points; tops among all rearguards in scoring this season.  His 17 goals ranked second and his 35 assists tied for fifth best.  Logging heavy minutes in all situations, Lloyd would register 20 power player points and five shorthanded points, including four shorthanded assists, which was tied for the best among all OJHL skaters.  He would notch a pair of points as a member of Team OJHL Oates as they captured the 2014 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that was held in Toronto.

Defence – Eric Williams (Aurora Tigers)

For the second consecutive year, Eric Williams of the Aurora Tigers led the OJHL in goal scoring by a defenceman, firing home 22 goals with his powerful shot from the point.  The 22 goals is the eighth best total by a blueliner in OJHL history and bests the totals of former greats Bryan Helmer and Randy Jones.  The Newmarket, Ontario native finished fifth on the Tigers in both goals and overall scoring, registering 50 points in 52 games, while helping the club capture the OJHL Regular Season title for the first time since 2007.  Williams quarterbacked the league’s best power play unit, using his booming shot from the point to tally 17 goals and 28 points with the man advantage, both tops among rearguards, while his 17 goals was the second best total overall.  He would lead Team OJHL Coffey in scoring with four points during the 2014 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge and is committed to join the Northeastern University Huskies beginning in the Fall.

Forward – Adam Brady (Kingston Voyageurs)

Despite playing up to six fewer games than most of the league’s leading scorers, Adam Brady scored at a torrid pace during his fourth OJHL season, finishing second in the goal scoring race with 43 goals in just 46 games played.  The Voyageurs alternate captain would not only lead his club in scoring with 77 points, but would also finish fourth overall for the league scoring title.  Brady was the league’s top power play specialist as well, leading the league with both 19 goals and 30 points with the man advantage, while also scoring in the clutch with a league-high 11 game-winning goals, four more than his closest competition.  Brady’s play would ultimately earn a spot on Team Canada East at the 2014 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge, where he also wore an ‘A’ on his chest, and later on Team OJHL Oates, capturing the 2014 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge title.  He is committed to join the Robert Morris University Colonials.

Forward – Steve Hladin (Georgetown Raiders)

For the second consecutive season, Georgetown Raiders captain Steve Hladin was one of the league’s top scorers and was named a 1st Team All-Star.  The January Gongshow Gear South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month would lead the scoring race for most of the season and captured the Top Scorer Award by becoming the first OJHL player to reach the 100 point milestone since 2012, finishing the year with a league-high 63 assists and 104 points.  Also one of the league’s cleanest players, recording just six penalty minutes, Hladin would finish second in the OJHL with 19 power player assists, 28 power play points and 7 game-winning goals, to help the Raiders capture the West Division crown.  Hladin would once again play in the annual Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, this time as a member of Team OJHL Oates, capturing the tournament title while recording three points in five games and is committed to join the Sacred Heart University Pioneers next season.

Forward – Brady Wiffen (Trenton Golden Hawks)

After recording just over a point-per-game last season, Brady Wiffen of the Trenton Golden Hawks would take his game to another level in 2014-15, registering more than a goal-per-game with a league-high 53 goals in 52 regular season contests.  Wiffen became the first player in three years to hit the magical 50-goal milestone.  Also the runner-up as the OJHL Top Scorer with 92 points this season, the Golden Hawks alternate captain was not only a key contributor to the club’s power play unit, but also one of the leaders for the league’s third best penalty killing unit.  Trenton would top the charts this season with 16 shorthanded goals, of which Wiffen contributed an OJHL best five goals and eight points while down a man.  The January Gongshow Gear North-East Conference Player-of-the-Month (also runner-up in November) was selected to play for Team OJHL Hawerchuk, leading the team in scoring with four points at the 2014 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, and is committed to join the RPI Engineers beginning next season.

2nd Team All-Stars

Aurora Tigers netminder Andy Munroe is a native of Keswick, Ontario.  He posted a league-high 30 victories on the strength of a 30-10-0 record, along with four shutouts, a 2.09 goals against average, and a .923 save percentage.  Munroe would be named the Gongshow Gear Goaltender-of-the-Month twice this season, taking home the award in both November and January, as he led the Tigers to the OJHL Regular Season Championship for the first time since 2007.

Trenton Golden Hawks defenceman Braden Hellems is a native of St. Thomas, Ontario.  Teamed with 1st Team All-Star Christian Lloyd, the pair was one of the top 1-2 tandems in the entire OJHL throughout the season and it was Hellems in fact, that was named Gongshow Gear North-East Conference Player-of-the-Month in October.  The first year OJHLer finished fifth on the Golden Hawks in scoring with 50 points in 53 games played, while his totals of 38 assists and 50 points were both tied for second best among all OJHL rearguards.

Toronto Patriots defenceman Niko Kovachis is a native of Mississauga, Ontario.  The Patriots leader from the back-end, Kovachis has continued to improve his offensive game during each of his three OJHL seasons, this year leading the club with 39 assists, also tops among all OJHL defencemen, while finishing third on the Pats in scoring with 49 points in 49 games played.  He is committed to join the Niagara University Purple Eagles next season.

Trenton Golden Hawks forward Zach de Concilys is a native of St. Catharines, Ontario.  After leading the Golden Hawks in scoring during the 2014 post-season, de Concilys picked-up where he left off, finishing second on the Hawks and third in OJHL scoring with 83 points in 52 games played.  The consummate playmaker, who is also one of the league’s most dominant in the face-off circle, de Concilys finished second to scoring champion Steve Hladin with 60 assists on the season, while also notching four shorthanded points.

Kingston Voyageurs forward Alex Tonge is a native of Kingston, Ontario.  Despite only playing 39 games due to injury, Tonge would be one of the most productive players in the OJHL, finishing the season with 41 assists and 69 points to finish second on the Vees and eighth overall in the league scoring race.  He would be named the Gongshow Gear North-East Conference Player-of-the-Month for November and is committed to join the Robert Morris University Colonials beginning next Fall.

North York Rangers forward Gabriel Valenzuela is a native of Brampton, Ontario.  The Gongshow Gear South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month for October led the Rangers in scoring this season with 34 goals and 76 points in 53 games played, also the fifth best total in the entire OJHL, while his 34 goals ranked fourth best among the elite.  A key member of the power play unit, Valenzuela notched 24 points with the man advantage, including 19 assists, the league’s second best total.  He is committed to join the RIT Tigers beginning next season.