The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) announced Wednesday that Joseph Coates (Espanola Paper Kings); Max DeCoff (Soo Thunderbirds); Alexander Boivin (Hearst Lumberjacks) and Benjamin Coupal (Iroquois Falls Storm) have named its Forward; Journal Printing Defenceman; Goaltender and Orendorff & Associates Rookie of the Month, respectively, for September.
FORWARD: Joseph Coates, Espanola Paper Kings – Impressing early in his NOJHL tenure, Coates collected a league-high 21 points, in eight outings, for the Paper Kings on six goals and 15 assists.
The 20-year-old from Belleville, Ont., etched his name on the game sheet in all eight games he played that featured seven multi-point efforts, including four where he collected three-plus.
Coates also picked up at least one assist in each match-up he skated in last month, highlighted by a four-helper performance in his most recent contest, which extended his current point streak to eight in succession.
Honourable Mention: Ty McKay, Hearst Lumberjacks; Cameron Menard, Espanola Paper Kings
Monthly recipients
September: Joseph Coates, Espanola Paper Kings
JOURNAL PRINTING DEFENCEMAN: Max DeCoff, Soo Thunderbirds – The 19-year-old Niagara Falls, Ont., product made immediate inroads on the point in his first month in the NOJHL.
Averaging just over a point-per-game for the Thunderbirds, DeCoff picked up six in five appearances on a trio of tallies and as many assists. Two of his helpers came while his club was shorthanded, which currently tops all league rearguards.
DeCoff also enters October sharing top spot in offensive production among all D-men with his six points.
Honourable Mention: Matthew Kim, Timmins Rock; Braeden Begley, Powassan Voodoos
Monthly recipients
September: Max DeCoff, Soo Thunderbirds
GOALTENDER: Alexandre Boivin, Hearst Lumberjacks – A solid start to the season saw Boivin come away victorious in each of his four starts, three of which were on the road, for the front-running Lumberjacks.
Those four wins for the 19-year-old from Blind River lead all league netminders, coming off his rookie campaign where he topped the NOJHL in triumphs with 22.
Boivin has won each of his past nine starts for Hearst dating back to last season and has gone 26-6-1-0 overall in his time in the league.
Honourable Mention: Jack Helkie, Espanola Paper Kings; Frédéric Cousineau, Timmins Rock
Monthly recipients
September: Alexandre Boivin, Hearst Lumberjacks
ORENDORFF & ASSOCIATES ROOKIE: Benjamin Coupal, (F) Iroquois Falls Storm – Pacing all rookies in tallies in September, Coupal notched seven markers for Iroquois Falls in just five games played. He also added an assist for the Storm.
Three of the markers for the 18-year-old from Cameron, Ont., came on the power play while another was a shorthanded effort.
Coupal’s tally total ties him for fourth among all NOJHL skaters and he’ll begin the new month on a four-game goal streak.
Honourable Mention: Owen Smith, Espanola Paper Kings; Theo Bourdon-Lemoyne, Hearst Lumberjacks
Monthly recipients
September: Benjamin Coupal, (F) Iroquois Falls Storm
