The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Michael Swift of the Niagara IceDogs won the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as the OHL's Overage Player of the Year for the 2007-08 season.
Swift was tied for seventh in the OHL scoring race this season with 38 goals and 62 assists for 100 points in 68 games. He also had 130 penalty minutes and had a plus-36 plus-minus rating. Swift, the IceDogs captain, enjoyed a 12-game point scoring streak near that end of the season that included 15 goals and 26 points. He helped the IceDogs to a 42-25-0-1 record, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The 21-year-old Peterborough native finished his career with 111 goals and 172 assists for 283 points in 276 career games with the IceDogs over the past five seasons. He also represented his team in the OHL All-Star Classic in Sault Ste. Marie in January, scoring one goal for the Eastern Conference and winning the fastest skater event in the skills competition.
The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top overage player of the year as selected by OHL general managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for players from their own hockey club. Players received five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
Swift received 53 points in the voting process, followed by Kyle Gajewski of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, who received 44 points. Sarnia Sting captain Ryan Wilson finished third in the voting with 41 points.
The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy was donated by the trainers of the Ontario Hockey League, in memory of the late Leo Lalonde, former Chief Scout of OHL Central Scouting. Leo Lalonde was also formerly the Chief Scout for the Belleville Bulls as well as a scout for the Peterborough Petes.
Former winners of the trophy include Iain Fraser (Oshawa, 1989-90), Zac Bierk (Peterborough, 1996-97) and Bill Bowler (Windsor, 1994-95). Tyler Donati of the Belleville Bulls was last year's recipient of the Leo Lalonde Trophy.
Swift will be presented with the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy during the 2007-08 OHL Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Wednesday June 4 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Photo: Aaron Bell/OHL
