The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Kyle Pereira of the Guelph Storm is the 2011-12 recipient of the Roger Neilson Memorial Award presented to the league's top post secondary student athlete.

Pereira, a 21-year-old from Brampton, ON, is a successful student at the University of Guelph studying six courses this year including Computer Applications, Crime and Criminal Justice, Dynamics of Behaviour, Microeconomics, Nutrition and Society, and Sociology.  He is the second member of the Storm to be recognized as the league’s top University player following Tim Priamo who received the honour in 2009.

“We are extremely proud of Kyle,” said Storm General Manager Mike Kelly. “He is a superb example of what we consider a true Storm player to be combining success in education with his hockey abilities.”

Pereira finishes a four-year OHL career that began with the Brampton Battalion in 2008 playing in 231 career regular season games.  This last season with the Storm he recorded 20 points in 52 games and led the club with a plus-minus rating of plus-11.

"Kyle consistently demonstrates a high commitment to his studies and the value of education,” said the Storm’s University student Academic Advisor Shari Dorr.  “He is a mature, responsible student who goes about meeting his academic requirements independently.  These qualities have helped him to achieve academic success while carrying an academic load that is heavier than most of his peers.”

The Roger Neilson Memorial Award is named in honour of the Hall of Fame Coach who served behind the Peterborough Petes bench in the late 1960's and early 1970's.  Neilson, a former high school teacher, was a pioneer in stressing the importance of education to all of his players.

Former winners of the Roger Neilson Memorial Award include current CIS athlete Scott Aarssen of the University of Western Ontario Mustangs (London 2007-08), and Derek Lanoue who won the award the last two years with the Windsor Spitfires.

Runner-up for the Roger Neilson Memorial Award was Daniel Broussard of the Ottawa 67’s, followed by Nathan Chiarlitti of the Sarnia Sting.

Pereira will be formally presented with the award at the OHL’s annual Awards Ceremony June 5 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. 

Roger Neilson Award Winner- Kyle Pereira, Guelph Storm

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