NOJHL announces Gongshow Gear players of the month for December

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017

NOJHL announces Gongshow Gear players of the month for December

SUDBURY – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League announced Wednesday its respective Gongshow Gear Inc., player, defenceman, goaltender and rookie of the month for December.

GONGSHOW GEAR PLAYER OF THE MONTH – YIANNI LIARAKOS, (F) BLIND RIVER BEAVERS: Taking to the ice in eight games in December, Liarakos once again played a pivotal role in the resurgence in Blind River.

The 20-year-old Toronto product amassed 14 points for the Beavers last month as he scored nine times, two of which were game-winners, and dished out five assists along the way.

Liarakos enters the New Year leading his club in offensive production with 52 points in 35 outings, including 25 tallies.

That also puts him third overall among all NOJHL skaters in scoring.

His 11 power play markers tie him for the most in the league to date and Liarakos is second in game-winning goals with eight.

Honourable Mention: Matt Caruso, (F) Soo Thunderbirds; Gary Mantz, (F) Powassan Voodoos

Monthly recipients
September: Braeden Cross, (F) Cochrane Crunch
October: Chris Murphy, (F) Soo Eagles
November: Tyson Gilmour, (F) Powassan Voodoos
December: Yianni Liarakos, (F) Blind River Beavers

GONGSHOW GEAR DEFENCEMAN OF THE MONTH – JOSEPH THIELEN, (D) COCHRANE CRUNCH: After being out of the Cochrane line-up for five weeks earlier this season, the 19-year-old defenceman from Huntington Beach, Calif., returned to bolster his club’s fortunes.

In eight games in December, Thielen scored four times and helped set-up five others for the Crunch for nine points as Cochrane went on to win six of those contests.

Averaging over a point-per-game for the Crunch in 2016-17, Thielen has 20 in total with five goals and 15 assists in just 18 games played.

Through his first 72 league match-ups, the Cochrane D-man has 61 points on 13 markers and 48 helpers.

Honourable Mention: Ryan Bazzana, (D) Powassan Voodoos; Phil Caron, (D) Iroquois Falls Eskis

Monthly recipients
September: Dayton Murray, (D) Powassan Voodoos
October: Phil Caron, (D) Iroquois Falls Eskis
November: Spencer Segui, (D) Timmins Rock
December: Joseph Thielen, (D) Cochrane Crunch

GONGSHOW GEAR GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH – NATE MCDONALD, (G) POWASSAN VOODOOS: This marks a hat trick of sorts for McDonald as he earns NOJHL goaltender of the month laurels for a third time already this season.

In five starts last month, McDonald won all of them helping Powassan extend their current winning streak to 23 in succession.

Along with his 5-0 record, the 17-year-old native of nearby North Bay, Ont., was named as one of four goaltenders, who will compete in the upcoming Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects Game, Jan. 25 in Cornwall, Ont.

So far in 2016-17 McDonald leads the NOJHL in both goals-against average and save percentage at 2.02 and .928 respectively.

His 19 wins ties the Voodoos netminder for the most in the league as do his three shutouts to date.

Honourable Mention: Brandon Gordon, (G) Soo Thunderbirds; Leighton Williams, (G) Cochrane Crunch

Monthly recipients
September: Nate McDonald, (G) Powassan Voodoos
October: Nicholas Campbell, (G) Powassan Voodoos
November: Nate McDonald, (G) Powassan Voodoos
December: Nate McDonald, (G) Powassan Voodoos

GONGSHOW GEAR ROOKIE OF THE MONTH – ANDY BAKER, (F) POWASSAN VOODOOS: Another key factor to the success of league-leading and No. 2 CJHL-ranked Powassan has been the play of first-year forward Andy Baker.

The 17-year-old from Port Carling, Ont., scored in each of the six games he played in December, registering eight in total while adding an assist to aid in the Voodoos continuation of their impressive 23-game winning streak.

Three of his tallies last month were game-winners, which raised his league-best total to 10 in that category.

Baker also tops all NOJHL rookies in scoring with 49 points with his 33 goals leading all players in the league.

His efforts have him tied for fourth overall in NOJHL offensive numbers and he was also named to the Team East roster for the CJHL Prospects Game in Cornwall later this month.

Honourable Mention: Jacob Shankar, (F) Timmins Rock; Phil Caron (D) Iroquois Falls Eskis

Monthly recipients
September: Phil Caron, (D) Iroquois Falls Eskis
October: Bradey Johnson, (F) Rayside-Balfour Canadians
November: Tyson Gilmour, (F) Powassan Voodoos
December: Andy Baker, (F) Powassan Voodoos

Gongshow Gear is the official lifestyle hockey apparel provider of the NOJHL.

ABOUT GONGSHOW GEAR INC.

Founded in 2002 by three teammates in the Central Junior “A” Hockey League after identifying the need for a hockey apparel brand that would accurately represent the exciting and exclusive lifestyle that hockey players live. Gongshow was the first Lifestyle Hockey Apparel brand in the world to hit the market in 2002, and this game changing company has since grown into the largest hockey lifestyle clothing brand in the world – selling in over 500 retail locations, in 15 countries internationally, and has hailed comparisons to such pioneering lifestyle brands as Billabong (Surfing Lifestyle), and Burton (Snowboarding Lifestyle).

COMPANY PROFILE

For more information on Gongshow Gear Inc., visit their website at www.gongshowgear.com or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/gongshowgear or Twitter at twitter.com/gongshowgear.