The OJLL announced their league award winners on Tuesday, with Toronto Beaches forward Willem Firth taking home MVP honours.
The award nominees had previously been announced in the summer. As a reminder, the awards were voted on by representatives from each team. LCD covered the nominees this summer, and that article can be found below!
But enough about the nominees, lets take a look at the winners of the major awards.
MVP and Most Outstanding Player
Willem Firth, Toronto Beaches
\Thankfully, the right thing happened here. A lot has been written and said over the summer about the off-floor situation impacting the Toronto Beaches this summer. Individually, the forfeitures costed players like Firth all of their points from the impacted games.
He still managed to get as high as 12th in the scoring race, with 78 points in the 12 games that counted. With a full season, he would have easily led the scoring for the league.
He was the best player in the OJLL regular season, and one of the best we have ever seen. And he will still be in the OJLL next year.
It was his second MVP award in three seasons, a remarkable feat for anyone let alone one with eligibility remaining.
Defensive Player of the Year
Hayden Hiltz, Burlington Blaze
Hiltz was voted the best defensive player of the summer and will spend his time this winter playing his freshman season at Marquette University. A defensive stalwart for the 2023 Blaze team that won the Minto Cup and this summer’s team as well, Hiltz played in all 20 games for the Blaze and scored 6 goals and 9 assists.
Rookie of the Year
Jacob Janke, Brampton Excelsiors
Janke had a big summer for the Excelsiors, scoring 63 points in 22 combined games between playoffs and the regular season. While all of these awards are regular season trophies, Janke looked just fine in the playoffs. He had 17 points in four playoff games against Mimico, a sign of great things to come for the Excels.
Most Sportsmanlike Player
Will Sheehan, Oakville Buzz / Toronto Beaches
In addition to most sportsmanlike, Sheehan led the OJLL in goals with 50, putting himself in an elite category of goal-scorers in Ontario history. He finished the season with 8 PIMs, an impressive feat considering the physicality he endured as Oakville’s top option.
Sheehan plays his college lacrosse at Yale.
Transition Player of the Year
Sam Trumble, Peterborough Lakers
Trumble was part of a big, mobile Lakers defence that gave more than a few teams issues this summer. He was nearly a point per game player with 11 goals and 8 assists in 20 regular season games, but more importantly helped establish an identity that led to the best Lakers finish in years.
Trumble is listed on the roster for Denver University this spring, his first year under Canadian Head Coach Matt Brown for the Pioneers.
Most Valuable Goal Keeper
Thomas Kiazyk, Toronto Beaches
Another award that the voters got right, Kiazyk was clearly the best goalie during the regular season. While he and his Beaches teammates likely wish the playoff series against Orangeville went a different direction, Kiazyk was spectacular for the Beaches all summer long.
He’s big and athletic, a combination that is hard to find, but one shared by many of the best goaltenders in the game. He also has a great stick and is a willing passer, something that will benefit him through his NLL career.
Kiazyk is Saskatchewan Rush property and will spend the year playing for coach Jimmy Quinlain and the Rush.
Coaching Staff of the Year
Brampton Excelsiors
Head Coach Pat O’Toole and assistants Dylan Evans, Mike Burke, and Kevin Haynes did their best work without their best players this summer. After a blockbuster trade sent three of Brampton’s best players to Orangeville, the Excelsiors ripped off a winning streak and remained more than relevant in the playoff race.
With several returning players and one of the best staffs in the game, the future is bright for Brampton.
Scoring Champion
Joey Spallina, Orangeville Northmen
While many were rightly confused why Spallina was left off the MVP ballot, he still takes home this statistical honour. Spallina had a remarkable summer and playoff season, and just looked right at home playing against the best in the world at the WLBC.
He is the best American to ever play in the OJLL.
Agree with the list? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below!