NAHL announces monthly player awards for November
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced its monthly player awards for the month of November. The Forward of the Month is Jake Cameron from the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The Defenseman of the Month is Justin Gibson from the Johnstown Tomahawks. The Goaltender of the Month is Jack Wieneke from the Lone Star Brahmas. Only players who are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the NAHL monthly awards.
Bauer Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month: Jake Cameron, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks Ice Dogs forward Jake Cameron, 19, had an impressive month of November. The 5’10/175 lbs. native of Victoria, MN, tied for the league scoring lead during the month with 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 8 games played. However, what was most impressive for Cameron was that he recorded at least a point in all eight games during the month and will enter December riding an eight-game point streak. He also had four multi-point games in November. Cameron is currently tied for the team scoring lead with 19 points in 24 games played to date. “We are excited for Jake as he has been very consistent on the ice. Jake has a team first mentality, has great poise with the puck, and has utilized his ability with the puck in all aspects of the game. We are looking forward to his success throughout and using his abilities as he continues to make players around him better,” said Fairbanks head coach Ryan Theros.
“I have the support of an exceptionally talented and hard-working group of guys that have bought in to a process laid out by our coaches. We also receive immense support from our organization, fans, and coaches which allows us to play a structured, skill-based game confidently and consistently,” said Cameron. “I believe our team has a great shot to make a deep run in the playoffs to the Robertson Cup if we continue to stay dialed in on the little things that make us a strong team. It’s always been my dream to play NCAA Division I college hockey and I think we will have a lot of guys go down that path with continued team success.”
Runner-Up: Max Martin, Wisconsin Windigo
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Medrick Bolduc, El Paso Rhinos - Leonid Bulgakov, Aberdeen Wings – Jack Costanzo, New Hampshire Mountain Kings – Grant Dietz, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – Cameron Dunn, Odessa Jackalopes – Tyler Dysart, St. Cloud Norsemen – Evan Hunter, Bismarck Bobcats – Brock James, Lone Star Brahmas – Sixten Jennersjo, Northeast Generals – Ryan Johnson, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Peyton Platter, Chippewa Steel – Justin Rapp, Johnstown Tomahawks – Austin Salani, Austin Bruins – Nicholas Stevens, Kenai River Brown Bears – Jeremi Tremblay, Maryland Black Bears – Max Wagener, Janesville Jets – Roman Zap, Amarillo Wranglers
Bauer Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month: Justin Gibson, Johnstown Tomahawks
Johnstown Tomahawks defenseman Justin Gibson, 20, had his best month of the 2023-24 season to date in November. The 6’1/190 lbs. native of Pittsburgh, PA, led all NAHL defensemen with 10 points during the month, which included three goals and seven assists. Gibson had two multi-point games and had points in seven of the nine games during the month. For the season, Gibson’s 22 points currently ranks tied for 2nd among all NAHL defensemen. “Justin has been outstanding for us since Day 1 of the season and it is extremely well deserved for him to receive this recognition. He has been a major contributor on our back end, but an equally important driver of our offensive game and power play. Additionally, he has been a fantastic leader for us off the ice and within the Johnstown community. Whichever NCAA Division I team lands Justin will not only be getting a terrific hockey player, but also a terrific person. I couldn’t be prouder of what he has meant to our team, and what he will continue to mean to us for the rest of the season,” said Johnstown head coach Mike Letizia.
“I think the keys to my success have been a lot of hard work. We are a hard-working team in Johnstown and having a group who works hard in practice and pushes me in drills every day has really made me better,” said Gibson. “I think that our team has a really great opportunity to go for a deep playoff run and win the Robertson Cup. Personally, I just want to keep getting better every day and find a NCAA Division I school that is the right fit for me.”
Runner-Up: Bryce Ingles, Lone Star Brahmas
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jackson Anderson, Aberdeen Wings – Conner Brown, Janesville Jets – Ashtyn Bynum, Austin Bruins – Cam Charron, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – David Clarke, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Jack Dalton, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Daniil Dolzhenko, Wisconsin Windigo – Ian Engel, Bismarck Bobcats – Nolan Gagnon, Amarillo Wranglers – Jakub Jerman, El Paso Rhinos – Trayce Johnson, Maryland Black Bears – Joe Manning, Kenai River Brown Bears – Tommy McDonough, New Hampshire Mountain Kings – Kyle Miller, St. Cloud Norsemen – Scotty Miner, Chippewa Steel – Trevor Mitchell, Odessa Jackalopes
True Hockey NAHL Goaltender of the Month: Jack Wieneke, Lone Star Brahmas
For the season time this season, goaltender Jack Wieneke, 20, has been named the Goalie of the Month. This time however, it’s with a different team than when Wieneke won the award back in September. The 6’1/185 lbs. native of Plymouth, MI, was lights out for the Lone Star Brahmas in November. Wieneke played in six games and over 273 minutes of action and posted a perfect 5-0-0 record, allowing just a single goal during the month on a total of 94 shots. That was good for a 0.17 goals against average and a .990 save percentage. Since joining the Brahmas in late October, Wieneke is a perfect 7-0-0 and has allowed only four goals on 144 total shots. “Jack’s been lights out for us. Any mistakes we make as a team and he bails us out of it. He combines his athleticism and positioning to make the hard saves look easy. He is an NCAA Division I goalie for sure,” said Lone Star head coach Dan Wildfong.
“Playing for Lone Star has been awesome. The coaching staff and players welcomed me in right away. Our team is very structured and has bought into our systems so well, which makes my job a lot easier. I owe my success this month to all my teammates, it’s because of the effort they put into supporting each other and helping me out that has led to a very successful month,” said Wieneke. “I think the main improvements I have made over the season would be cleaning up the little details. I’ve been focused on tightening up holes and working to control my rebounds to give our opponent less second chances.”
Runner-Up: Andy Vlaha, New Mexico Ice Wolves
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Kael DePape, El Paso Rhinos – Zack Ferris, Johnstown Tomahawks – Klayton Knapp, Bismarck Bobcats – Croix Kochendorfer, Aberdeen Wings – Tyler Krivtsov, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Owen Lepak, Maryland Black Bears – Ryan Manzella, St. Cloud Norsemen – Connor McDonough, Amarillo Wranglers – Miles Roberts, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – Quentin Sigurdson, Odessa Jackalopes – Marks Slavinskis-Repe, Kenai River Brown Bears – Trent Wiemken, Austin Bruins – Carter Wishart, Chippewa Steel – Aiden Wright, New Hampshire Mountain Kings
