With players like Liam Foudy, Connor McMichael, Jonathan Gruden and Ryan Merkley on their roster, the London Knights earn a lot of recognition for what they do offensively.
As the Ontario Hockey League announced its monthly award winners for February on Monday afternoon, two names who do the bulk of their work on the defensive side of the puck took home honours, as Alec Regula was named defenceman of the month and Brett Brochu was named goalie of the Month.
February was the second month in a row that Brochu was named top goaltender.
He is closing in on the most victories by a 17-year old rookie since the Ontario Hockey League began keeping goalie statistics. With 29 wins, the Tilbury, Ont., native is just two wins behind John Vanbiesbrouck, who entered the league in 1980-81 and won 31 games as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and Andrew Loverock, who picked up 31 victories in 2006-07 with the Niagara IceDogs.
Brochu has won 19 of his last 20 games and posted a 2.36 goals-against average and a to go with a .926 save percentage over eight games.
His pinnacle performance came in Ottawa on Family Day when Brochu made 43 saves in a 4-2 win over the league-leading 67’s.
Regula scored a goal to put the Knights in front in that game and ended a tremendously successful February with more points than any other OHL defenceman. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect had 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points in 11 games and also turned in a plus/minus rating of plus-10.
Regula was only held off the scoresheet once, and like his rookie teammate in the London crease, he is closing in on some history. Regula has 26 goals overall this season which is the most by any Knights defenceman since Dennis Wideman scored 27 in 2001-02.
The record for goals by a London defenceman is 34, set by Nick Stajduhar in 1993-94.
The West Bloomfield, Mich., native has 14 power play goals this year which has him third overall. Teammate Connor McMichael and Hamilton Bulldogs forward Arthur Kaliyev lead the way with 16 goals on the man advantage.
The London Knights sit one point ahead of the Kitchener Rangers for first place in the Western Conference. The teams meet in Kitchener on Tuesday.
The pre-game show will begin at 6:30 on 980 CFPL.
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