March 12, 2009
FAIRBANKS, AK - One day after being named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's All-Conference First Team, senior goalie and Hobey Baker candidate Chad Johnson was announced as a top three finalist for the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Year award. First-year head coach Dallas Ferguson is also a finalist for the 12-team league's Coach of the Year award.
The conference announced the top three finalists for all six major individual awards that will be presented on Thursday, March 19 at historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit.
Joining Johnson, as finalists, are Miami sophomore Carter Camper and Notre Dame senior Jordan Pearce. Johnson finished the regular season on top of the CCHA in both goals-against average (1.69) and save percentage (.939). The Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick was second in shutouts (4), minutes played (1525:08) and third in total saves (657) in the CCHA, as well as the leagues' Perani Cup point champion with 49 through 28 regular-season games.
Camper played in 27 conference games and recorded 29 points, leading the CCHA in goals scored with 16. The Rocky River, Ohio, native was second in the CCHA in power-play goals, third in power-play points and tied for the league lead in game-winning goals. Pearce has been a workhorse for the Irish this season, playing in all 28 conference games, leading the conference in victories (21), winning percentage (.804), minutes (1667:45) and shutouts (5). He finished second in the conference in GAA (1.76) and Spct. (.927).
The other two finalists for Coach of the Year are Jeff Jackson of Notre Dame and Ohio State's John Markell. Ferguson led the Nanooks, picked to finish tied for 11th in the conference, to a fourth-place finish, a first-round CCHA bye and his team led the CCHA and the nation in scoring defense. Jackson's Irish won the CCHA regular-season championship, spent much of the season atop the national polls, had a 20-game unbeaten streak, were second in the country in total defense and had the highest winning percentage in the country. The Markell-led Buckeyes, who have only five upper-classmen on their roster, finished fifth in the CCHA regular season, were second in the CCHA in scoring and swept their first-round CCHA playoff series.
Since joining the CCHA during the 1995-96 season, Alaska has seen only two players and one coach earn three of the league's six major individual awards. Former Nanook defenseman and All-American Tyler Eckford (2005-08) was named the CCHA's Best Offensive Defenseman in 2008, while Bobby Andrews (1998-2002) was named the Best Defensive Forward and Guy Gadowsky (1999-2003) was named the Coach of the Year both in 2002, the first season in which the Nanooks advanced to Joe Louis Arena and the quarterfinal round of the CCHA tournament. However, during the 2003-04 season, former Alaska forward Aaron Voros also garnered the Terry Flanagan Memorial Award after recovering from a bone tumor in his leg.
The top three finalists for the remaining four awards are:
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
David Wohlberg, Michigan
Billy Maday, Notre Dame
Zac Dalpe, Ohio State
BEST OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN FINALISTS
Chad Langlais, Michigan
Eddie DelGrosso, Nebraska-Omaha
Erik Gustafsson, Northern Michigan
BEST DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN FINALISTS
Kevin Roeder, Miami
Chris Summers, Michigan
Kyle Lawson, Notre Dame
BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD FINALISTS
Cartern Camper, Miami
Tim Miller, Michigan
Erik Condra, Notre Dame
The CCHA Awards kick off CCHA Championship Weekend on Thursday, March 19. The banquet, an Academy Awards-style event with music videos, video highlights and special awards presentations, is held at historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, across from Comerica Park. The banquet begins with a social hour presented by the RBC Financial Group at 6:30 p.m. The Awards Program starts at 7:30 p.m. Banquet tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling the CCHA at (248) 888-0600 or at the door the day of the event.
