Maple Leafs Announce Year End Award Winners
April 7, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Toronto Marlies News Release
On Saturday night the St. John's Maple Leafs announced the club's Year End Award winners for the 2002-2003 season. This year's edition of the St. John's Maple Leafs Year End Awards had 14 players sharing 14 separate awards.
Here are the winners for the 2002-2003 season as selected by the St. John's Maple Leafs with the help of their Fans and the Local Media:
PEPSI MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Josh Holden
NTV/OZFM LEADING SCORER: Brad Leeb
THE TELEGRAM BEST DEFENCEMAN: Anders Eriksson
ROGERS CABLE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Nathan Barrett
ALIANT SPORTSMANSHIP & DEDICATION: Craig Mills
MOLSON CANADIAN PLUS/MINUS: Alexei Ponikarovsky OVERALL MOLSON CUP WINNER: Mikael Tellqvist
MOLSON CUP RUNNER-UP: Josh Holden
BROOKFIELD DAIRY GROUP
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Regan Kelly
Morgan Warren
Craig Mills
ALIANT FAN CHOICE: Josh Holden
GRUB CLUB HARDEST WORKING PLAYER: Marc Moro
ATLANTIC LOTTERY
PLAYER'S CHOICE: Aaron Gavey
BOOSTER CLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Allan Rourke
Doug Doull
During the 2002-2003 St. John's Maple Leafs season there were many individual and team records tied or set throughout the year. Here is a list of this past season's highlights:
- Defenceman Allan Rourke recorded career highs in goals (12) and total points (31) in a season. Rourke also tied his career high in assists (19).
- Leftâwinger Doug Doull set career highs in goals (15), total points (25) and penalty minutes (257) in a season.
- Left-winger Brad Leeb set career highs in goals (35), 3rd in the AHL, assists (26) and total points (61) in a season. Leeb led the Maple Leafs in goals, points, game-winning goals (8) and total shots on net (242). Leeb was also 4th in the League in powerplay goals (15).
- Center Josh Holden was the big winner Saturday night at the Maple Leafs' Pucks and Tux Year End Awards Banquet. Besides claiming the Pepsi MVP and Molson Cup Overall Runner-up awards, Holden won the March/April segment of the Molson Cup and the Aliant Fan Choice Award.
- St. John's Maple Leafs center Alexei Ponikarovsky was selected to play for PlanetUSA at the annual AHL All-Star Classic held this past February at Portland. Due to injury he was unable to attend but former Maple Leafs rookie Brad Boyes was selected as a replacement and played for this year's Canadian AHL All-Star Team.
- This is the 10th time in 12 seasons that the team has recorded 30 or more wins in a season.
- The St. John's Maple Leafs set a new single season record at Mile One Stadium with nine (9) sellouts. In two full seasons at Mile One Stadium the Maple Leafs have averaged over 5,000 fans per game (5,027).
- Five St. John's Maple Leaf players made their debuts this season and recorded their first professional goal while one player recorded their first AHL win. The first year crop is listed in order of when they scored their first professional goal:
First Pro Goal:
Brad Boyes Oct. 12, 7-4 Win @ Albany River Rats
Nathan Barrett Oct. 25, 4-2 Win vs Bridgeport
Jay Harrison Nov. 26, 5-2 Win vs Saint John Flames
Regan Kelly Nov. 26, 5-2 Win vs Saint John Flames
Mark Chaplin Mar. 29, 2-1 Win @ Saint John Flames
First Pro Win:
Jamie Hodson Jan. 24, 4-1 @ Albany River Rats
American Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2003
- Bryzgalov, Popovic, Hedstrom and Reirden Join Anaheim - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Wolves Face Hershey in Quarterfinal Matchup - Chicago Wolves
- Rangers Name Don Maloney General Manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack - Connecticut Whale
- Eight Players Added To Monarchs Roster In Anticipation Of The Playoffs - Manchester Monarchs
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Bulldogs Finish Season on Top of AHL - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Admirals Make History with First AHL Playoff Appearance - Milwaukee Admirals
- Ritchie Rejoins Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- Sound Tigers Head Into Playoffs On Four Game Win Streak - Bridgeport Islanders
- IceCats Raise Thousands for Habitat for Humanity - Worcester IceCats
- Hossa, Komisarek and Ward to Join Bulldogs for Playoffs - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Sound Tigers Announce Several Transactions - Bridgeport Islanders
- Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin Named AHL Player of the Week - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Aeros Set First Round Playoff Dates - Houston Aeros
- Moose Finish Regular Season as Ninth Seed - Manitoba Moose
- Pirates Open Playoffs against Manitoba - Portland Pirates
- AHL Playoff Time is Here - AHL
- Wolf Pack Announce Qualifying Round Playoff Schedule - Connecticut Whale
- Maple Leafs Announce Year End Award Winners - Toronto Marlies
- Pens' Aubin named Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Norfolk Captures Second South Division Title - Norfolk Admirals
- Sixth Annual West Michigan Sports Awards Wet for May 13 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Postseason Play Begins Sunday as Bears Head to Chicago - Hershey Bears
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