Liam Heelis says he’s “honoured” to be named national MVP for university hockey.
The third-year winger and Axemen captain was named 2014 winner of the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as national MVP March 19 in Saskatoon.
"I am very honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious award. I do understand this would not (have been) possible without all the help I have in my corner,” Heelis said from Saskatoon, where the University Cup is set to get underway today.
Click here to see the full schedule and details on how you can watch.
Heelis also praised his teammates and said he would not have received the award without their help.
"This is truly a testament to the players and teammates I have surrounding me, along with the opportunities given me by the coaching staff sand Acadia Athletics, the training staff for keeping me healthy, and the university as a whole for providing a tremendous work environment to blossom as a student-athlete,” he said.
"My parents, family and friends have also played a huge role in everything they have done and continue to do for me whenever I need a hand.”
He also had high praise for the support from the community.
"We have a home like no other in the Annapolis Valley and Wolfville community in terms of supporters, fans and alumni,” Heelis added.
Axemen head coach, and AUS coach of the year, Darren Burns, said Acadia is “extremely proud” of Heelis’ accomplishments, both on the ice and as “a leader in the community and at Acadia.”
“His determination, leadership and commitment as a person showed every day in practice and in games, enabling him to be a very dominant player for our team,” Burns said.
“I would be hard-pressed to say I have witnessed a player improve as much as Liam has” since coming to Acadia, Burns said. “His outstanding season was instrumental in our team’s success.”
Read more about the Axemen's playoff run here.
The Georgetown, Ont., native is the fourth Axemen player to win the award, following in the footsteps of Duane Dennis (1994), Kevin Baker (1996) and former teammate Andrew Clark, who won two years ago.
A former Ontario Hockey League player with Owen Sound and Peterborough, the six-foot-one, 195-pound Heelis made his third season at Acadia his best so far, winning the Atlantic University Sport scoring title with 42 points, including a conference-best 24 goals. His stats represent a significant increase from his 10-12-22 total in 2012-2013.
Particularly outstanding on special teams, Heelis tied for the CIS lead with four shorthanded goals. He was second in the Atlantic conference with power play goals – with seven - and shots – with 117.
Heelis’s stellar play was a major factor in the Axemen finishing second in the competitive conference’s regular season, winning the conference championship and finishing the season as the Number 2 ranked team in the CIS.
In addition to his accomplishments with the Axemen, Heelis, along with teammates Chris Owens and Mike Cazzola, was a member of the Canadian team that captured gold at the FISU Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy, in December.
Along with the player of the year recognition, Heelis was also named to the first all-Canadian team. Teammate Axemen goalie Evan Mosher was named a second-team all-Canadian. Burns was a finalist for the Father George Kehoe Memorial Trophy as CIS Coach of the Year.
There’s still one piece of hardware Heelis wants at the University Cup.
"We are looking forward to the battle for the final piece of hardware left on the table. We are going into Game One the same way as we have all year – looking to play our persistent, hard-working game and taking each situation one step at a time,” he said.
Acadia is set to play its first game tonight at 10 p.m. AST time. Competition will be tough, Heelis said.
"Every team in this tournament has proven they deserve to be here. Each contest is going to bring out the best in each team,” he said. “We're looking forward to testing our strengths against the other top teams in the nation. We have been working hard all season for this opportunity, and we are excited to get things rolling."
Liam Heelis says he’s “honoured” to be named national MVP for university hockey.
The third-year winger and Axemen captain was named 2014 winner of the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as national MVP March 19 in Saskatoon.
"I am very honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious award. I do understand this would not (have been) possible without all the help I have in my corner,” Heelis said from Saskatoon, where the University Cup is set to get underway today.
Click here to see the full schedule and details on how you can watch.
Heelis also praised his teammates and said he would not have received the award without their help.
"This is truly a testament to the players and teammates I have surrounding me, along with the opportunities given me by the coaching staff sand Acadia Athletics, the training staff for keeping me healthy, and the university as a whole for providing a tremendous work environment to blossom as a student-athlete,” he said.
"My parents, family and friends have also played a huge role in everything they have done and continue to do for me whenever I need a hand.”
He also had high praise for the support from the community.
"We have a home like no other in the Annapolis Valley and Wolfville community in terms of supporters, fans and alumni,” Heelis added.
Axemen head coach, and AUS coach of the year, Darren Burns, said Acadia is “extremely proud” of Heelis’ accomplishments, both on the ice and as “a leader in the community and at Acadia.”
“His determination, leadership and commitment as a person showed every day in practice and in games, enabling him to be a very dominant player for our team,” Burns said.
“I would be hard-pressed to say I have witnessed a player improve as much as Liam has” since coming to Acadia, Burns said. “His outstanding season was instrumental in our team’s success.”
Read more about the Axemen's playoff run here.
The Georgetown, Ont., native is the fourth Axemen player to win the award, following in the footsteps of Duane Dennis (1994), Kevin Baker (1996) and former teammate Andrew Clark, who won two years ago.
A former Ontario Hockey League player with Owen Sound and Peterborough, the six-foot-one, 195-pound Heelis made his third season at Acadia his best so far, winning the Atlantic University Sport scoring title with 42 points, including a conference-best 24 goals. His stats represent a significant increase from his 10-12-22 total in 2012-2013.
Particularly outstanding on special teams, Heelis tied for the CIS lead with four shorthanded goals. He was second in the Atlantic conference with power play goals – with seven - and shots – with 117.
Heelis’s stellar play was a major factor in the Axemen finishing second in the competitive conference’s regular season, winning the conference championship and finishing the season as the Number 2 ranked team in the CIS.
In addition to his accomplishments with the Axemen, Heelis, along with teammates Chris Owens and Mike Cazzola, was a member of the Canadian team that captured gold at the FISU Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy, in December.
Along with the player of the year recognition, Heelis was also named to the first all-Canadian team. Teammate Axemen goalie Evan Mosher was named a second-team all-Canadian. Burns was a finalist for the Father George Kehoe Memorial Trophy as CIS Coach of the Year.
There’s still one piece of hardware Heelis wants at the University Cup.
"We are looking forward to the battle for the final piece of hardware left on the table. We are going into Game One the same way as we have all year – looking to play our persistent, hard-working game and taking each situation one step at a time,” he said.
Acadia is set to play its first game tonight at 10 p.m. AST time. Competition will be tough, Heelis said.
"Every team in this tournament has proven they deserve to be here. Each contest is going to bring out the best in each team,” he said. “We're looking forward to testing our strengths against the other top teams in the nation. We have been working hard all season for this opportunity, and we are excited to get things rolling."
