2015-16 OJHL TOP DEFENCEMAN
“Patrick Kudla Named OJHL Top Defenceman”
March 30, 2016, Oakville, Ontario – The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced that Patrick Kudla of the Oakville Blades has been named the recipient of the OJHL Top Defenceman Award.
Kudla becomes just the third defenceman in franchise history to win the league’s Top Defenceman Award and first since Justin Ball was the West Division recipient during the 1993-94 season (also won by Sandy Sajko in 1992-93). The third South Division recipient of the award in the past four years, Kudla led all OJHL rearguards with 66 points on the season, which was the 14th best total by a defenceman in league history.
Returning to the OJHL this season after last playing for the Wellington Dukes in 2013-14, Kudla spearheaded a Blades’ offensive attack that saw the club finish third in the OJHL with 231 goals scored, as well as with the third best power play unit, firing at a 23.39% success rate. The club’s offensive prowess helped capture the South Division regular season crown; the Blades’ first since winning the West Division title in 2007-08.
The Guelph, Ontario native played in all key situations for the Blades this season, getting off to a hot start by being named the OJHL Gongshow Gear South-West Conference
Player-of-the-Month for October, and never looked back leading all defencemen in scoring during the season with 53 assists and 66 points in 50 games played. Kudla’s 53 assists also topped all OJHL players this season, four more than scoring champion Luc Brown; and was the tenth best total by a defenceman in league history. Tied for seventh in the overall league scoring race, also third on the Blades, the OJHL 1st Team All-Star commanded the league’s third best power play and again led all players with 25 power play assists, while finishing second with 29 power play points. Not one to shy away from the physical aspect of the game, Kudla also led Oakville and tied for 14th in the OJHL with 86 penalty minutes.
Kudla’s early season play and Player-of-the-Month Award earned him a spot on Team OJHL Hawerchuk at the 2015 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that took place in Cornwall, Ontario, where he registered two points in four games played. Originally selected by the Plymouth Whalers in the 11th round, 221st overall of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection, Kudla confirmed his commitment this season to join the NCAA Division I, Arizona State University Sun Devils (currently independent) beginning with the 2017-18 season.
The OJHL Top Defenceman Award is awarded annually to the defenceman adjudged to have demonstrated the greatest all-round ability at his position throughout the regular season.
Brennan Roy of the Cobourg Cougars is runner-up in the OJHL Award balloting to Kudla.
Also named an OJHL 1st Team All-Star, Roy led all defenceman and became just the 16th defenceman in league history to record 20 goals from the blueline in one season. Logging heavy minutes throughout the season, Roy finished second to Kudla in scoring among rearguards with 53 points in 53 games played, while also leading all Cougar players in most offensive categories.
From OJHL Press Releases
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