Locke wins Bauer Nike CHL Player of the Year Award
Corey Locke of the Ottawa 67’s was named as the winner of the Bauer Nike Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year Award. The award, along with nine other CHL national awards, was presented at a noon hour luncheon in Quebec City today.
The Bauer Nike CHL Player of the Year capped off an outstanding season for the 19 year old native of Newmarket, Ontario. Locke led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring with 151 points on 63 goals and 88 assists to win the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy. Locke, who was selected to the OHL’s First All-star Team, was also selected as the winner of the Red Tilson Memorial Award as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player in the 2002-03 season.
In winning the Bauer Nike CHL Player of the Year award, Locke joins a prestigious group of previous winners that include Brad Richards, Jamie Allison, Eric Lindros, Joe Sakic, Luc Robitaille, Mario Lemieux and Dale Hawerchuk.
Locke was the only double winner at the 2003 CHL Awards as his 151 points was the highest point total in the CHL this season. As the CHL’s top scorer Locke was presented with the CGC Sheetrock Top Scorer Award.
The Molson Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award was presented today for the first time. The CHL Coach of the Year Award was renamed in honour of Ottawa 67’s General Manager/Head Coach Brian Kilrea who earned his 1000th win as a coach in the CHL in 2002-03. Marc Habscheid of the Kelowna Rockets was named as the first winner of the award. Habscheid led the Rockets to a first place finish in the Western Hockey League with a won-lost-tied-overtime lost record of 51-14-6-1. A highlight of the season for Kelowna was a 24 game undefeated streak that ran from January 5 to February 26.
Listed below is the complete list of CHL Award Winners for the 2002-03 season.
Bauer Nike CHL Player of the Year
Cory Locke – Ottawa 67’s
Molson Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year
Marc Habscheid – Kelowna Rockets
RadioShack Rookie of the Year
Matt Ellison – Red Deer Rebels
Prospects Magazine Humanitarian Player of the Year
Ryan Craig – Brandon Wheat Kings
The Hockey Co./Louisville Goaltender of the Year
Adam Russo – Les Titans d’Acadie Bathurst
MasterCard Defenceman of the Year
Brendan Bell – Ottawa 67’s
Department of Defence Sportsman of the Year
Kyle Wellwood – Windsor Spitfires
CGC Sheetrock Top Scorer
Corey Locke – Ottawa 67’s
Sharpie Scholastic Player of the Year
Dustin Brown – Guelph Storm