CHL award winners honoured

On Saturday's off-day between the semi-final and championship games of the 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawinigan, Que., the Canadian Hockey League honoured the national award winners.

Brendan Shinniman was the big winner after being named the CHL Player of the Year.

The full awards list included:

Top Prospect of the Year: Nail Yakupov, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

Sportsman of the Year: Mark Stone, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Top Scorer: Brendan Shinniman, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Humanitarian of the Year: Vincent Bernard, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

Scholastic Player of the Year: Jonathan Brunelle, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)

Coach of the Year: Jim Hiller, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Rookie of the Year: Mikhail Grigorenko, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

Goaltender of the Year: Michael Houser, London Knights (OHL)

Defenceman of the Year: Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

Player of the Year: Brendan Shinniman, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

The 2012 Memorial Cup wraps up on Sunday evening when the host Shawinigan Cataractes take on the Ontario Hockey league-champion London Knights in the final.

Update

Time to get Future Greats back up and being updated on a regular basis. It's been roughly 10 months since I've posted. I keep saying I need to update the blog but I never seem to get around to doing it. With the supper upon us, I hope to start getting into a regular pattern of posting. As a creature of habit, once I get to posting on a regular basis it should keep me posting once the hockey season starts in September. Check back in the next few days for updates on the 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawingian, Quebec

MacKinnon Trade Finalized

Nathan MacKinnon, the highly-touted forward selected first overall by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, has officially been traded.

In an announcement made this afternoon MacKinnon was dealt to the Halifax Mooseheads. In exchange, the Drakkar receive 19-year-old Carl Gelinas, 18-year-old Francis Turbide, along with three first-round picks (2012, 2013, and the Quebec Remparts pick in 2013).

The QMJHL currently has a trade freeze in place until Aug. 1, but league commissioner Gilles Courteau called this "extenuating curcumstances" in allowing the deal to be made.

"The fact that Nathan MacKinnon will play for a team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League next year is fantastic news for our league," Courteau said in a statement. "I would like to salute the excellent work of both organizations."

MacKinnon skipped the QMJHL Draft indicating that he had no intention of suiting up for the Drakkar. He instead spent the weekend skating with the USHL's Omaha Lancers.

MacKinnon spent last season at Shattuck St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota.