Trail, B.C. native Judah Makway of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks has signed to play for the Trail Smoke Eaters in the BCHL next season.
Makway, 17, played one season in the KIJHL with the Nitehawks and recorded 13 goals and 20 assists in 33 games, which placed him third on the team in points. His play earned him a call up to the Smoke Eaters as an affiliate player seeing action in three games, including a playoff game collecting a point.
“It means a lot to me to be able to sign here, to be able to represent my hometown and the team I grew up watching,” said Makway on the Smoke Eaters website. “I’m excited to play for this organization and I look forward to carrying on the winning tradition in Trail.”
“Judah is a player that brings a high compete level on a daily basis. He has strong potential of being a power forward in the BCHL for years to come as he demonstrated in his games with us this past season,” says Smoke Eaters GM/Head Coach Tim Fragle.
Makway said the games he played in helped him see that the program would be a good fit for him.
“It was an awesome experience last year to get up there for a couple games. It definitely helped me coming into camp this year and I love the pace and speed of it,” he said. “It was awesome.”
The experience gave him the belief he can play in the BCHL.
After adjusting to the physicality of the KIJHL, Makway said his transition into the league happened pretty quick. The Nitehawks coaching staff gave him a lot of minutes and the 6-0, 165-pound forward felt he played pretty well the entire season. He used his speed and passing ability to create plays and his longest stretch without collecting a point was four games.
Makway improved his play in tight areas as well as hockey sense, which helped him make quick decisions.
“I had a great experience in that league and I love the organization,” he said.
NEW YORK (May 12, 2022) – Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format and times to be announced.
Following are the finalists for the Hart Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthews, who captured the 2021-22 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer, posted career highs in goals (60), assists (46) and points (106) in 73 games to power the Maple Leafs to a fourth-place finish in the League standings as well as franchise records for wins (54) and points (115) in a campaign. Matthews (San Ramon, Calif.) became the 21st different player in NHL history – and first in a decade – to register 60 goals in a season, breaking Rick Vaive’s Toronto record (54 in 1981-82) and Jimmy Carson’s League benchmark for U.S.-born players (55 in 1987-88). He did so by averaging 0.82 goals per game – the highest rate by any player in a single campaign (minimum: 50 GP) since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 (0.99) – and scoring 19.23 percent of the Maple Leafs’ total goals (60 of 312) – the fourth-highest such mark in 2021-22 behind only Chris Kreider (20.80% w/ NYR), Leon Draisaitl (19.30% w/ EDM) and Alex DeBrincat (19.25% w/ CHI). Matthews, a Hart Trophy finalist for the second straight year after finishing second in voting in 2020-21, also ranked among this season’s leaders in shots on goal (1st; 348), power-play goals (t-3rd; 16), game-winning goals (5th; 10) and points (6th; 106). He is seeking to become the third Toronto player to win the award and first since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55.
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid, who claimed the 2021-22 Art Ross Trophy as the League’s top scorer, also established career highs in goals (44), assists (79) and points (123) across 80 games to lead the Oilers (49-27-6, 104 points) to their most wins and points in a season since 1986-87 (50-24-6, 106 points). The reigning Hart Trophy winner, who tallied the most points by an Edmonton player since 1989-90 (Mark Messier: 45-84—129) and the second-most by any NHLer over the past 15 years, found the scoresheet in 63 of his 80 contests (78.8%) and never went more than three games without a point. McDavid factored on 43.16 percent of the Oilers’ total goals in 2021-22 (123 of 285), the second-highest rate in the League behind only Patrick Kane (43.19% w/ CHI). He also led the NHL and set personal bests in power-play assists (34) and power-play points (44), and placed in the top 10 in the League in assists (2nd; 79), shots on goal (5th; 314) and goals (7th; 44). McDavid, a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after also winning in 2016-17 and finishing third in voting in 2018-19, is vying to become the ninth player in NHL history to take home the award at least three times – and just the third to do so before turning 26 (age as of final day of regular season), after Wayne Gretzky (7x) and Bobby Orr (3x).
Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers
Shesterkin, who earlier this week was named a finalist for the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy, compiled a 36-13-4 record, 2.07 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and six shutouts in 53 appearances to help the Rangers finish second in the Metropolitan Division with 110 points – their third-best season in franchise history behind only 2014-15 (113 points) and 1993-94 (112 points). Shesterkin, who led the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage, posted the seventh-highest save percentage in League history (since the statistic began being officially tracked in 1955-56). He also ranked third in the NHL in shutouts and sixth in wins, yielding two or fewer goals in 33 of his 53 contests (62.3%) and making 30 or more saves 28 times (52.8%). Shesterkin, New York’s second Hart Trophy finalist in the past three seasons after Artemi Panarin finished third in voting in 2019-20, is looking to become the fifth Rangers player to win the award and first since Mark Messier in 1991-92. He also is seeking to become the second New York goaltender to capture the Hart Trophy, after Chuck Rayner in 1949-50, and just the third netminder on any team to do so this century, following Carey Price in 2014-15 and Jose Theodore in 2001-02 (both w/ MTL).
History
The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1924 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
Announcement Schedule
The three finalists for the 2022 NHL Awards are being announced through Friday, May 20. The series of announcements continues Friday, May 13, when the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award will be unveiled.
