RECENT on-ice accomplishments by a number of local players have earned themselves accolades for their respective efforts.
OFF TO NORTHERN: Last month, Thunder Bay’s Travis Hensrud committed to attend Northern Michigan University on NCAA Division I scholarship.
The 20-year-old forward is presently in his third season skating with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Steinbach Pistons.
An assistant captain with Steinbach, the Thunder Bay Kings alumnus enters the New Year riding a 10-game point streak, as well as having etched his name on the game sheet in 14 of his past 15 outings.
His work sees him siting third in MJHL scoring. In all, Hensrud has collected 44 points in 28 games played, including 22 tallies, which is second-most in the league.
Hensrud is also expected to be named to one of the MJHL teams that will be taking part in a two-day showcase event, Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in Winnipeg, against sides from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Based in Marquette, Mich., the NMU Wildcats compete out of the 10-school Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
When Hensrud arrives at Northern Michigan next season, he’ll become the fifth player from Thunder Bay that has played for the Wildcats.
The others include defencemen Andrew Fernandez; Jesse Baraniuk and Tim Lindberg, as well as forward Mike Koiranen.
Former Thunder Bay Flyers’ forward David Bonk also attended NMU.
BROWN BOUND: Another former member of the local Kings AAA program, in defenceman Alex Pineau, also recently secured a scholarship to play U.S. college hockey.
The 19-year-old Pineau will attend Ivy League school Brown University.
A solid stay-at-home blueliner, he presently skates for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League, where he has dished out four assists in 24 games played.
Solid defensively with the Bucs, Pineau paces his squad in plus-minus with a team-best plus-5 rating.
Situated in Providence, R.I., the Bears play out of the 12-team Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
A storied institution of learning, Brown has also iced a men’s hockey program since 1897.
SOLID RUN: The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League has announced that Lakehead product Kolton Bourret has been named its Goaltender of the Month, for December.
The rookie netminder with the Soo Thunderbirds paced the NOJHL between the pipes to conclude the final month of 2022 by going 4-0-0-0 during the time frame.
Along with that, the 18-year-old stopper also registered a goals-against average of 1.73, along with a save percentage of .930.
Bourret, who has not suffered a defeat in regulation time since late-October, has now won each of his past seven starts, including posting a shutout, while registering a record of 8-1-1-0 in his past 10 appearances.
LEADING SCORER: A change of scenery has improved the fortunes of a local player skating in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Since being acquired by the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm, in late October, Thunder Bay’s Alex Atwill has been over a point-per-game performer with his new club.
The 19-year-old left winger has collected 19 points in 15 match-ups with the Storm.
His contributions have seen Atwill take over the Grande Prairie team scoring lead, buoyed by offensive production in 11 of those contests, that feature seven multi-point affairs.
NHL NUMBERS: Florida Panthers forward Eric Staal is currently the leader in games played among active NHLers.
His next contest will be his 1,325 in his distinguished career, of which only 56 others in NHL history have appeared in more.
That’s also the second-highest ever skated in among those from the Lakehead.
Only the legendary Alex Delvecchio has played in more, with 1,550.
Others from northwestern Ontario with 1,000, or more, NHL games played include:
Chris Pronger (1,167); Jordan Staal (1,129) and Marc Staal (1,057).
They are in a select group of 373, among the over 7,500, that have competed in the NHL over the years.