BROOKS, AB (May 12, 2017) – Brooks Bandits defenceman Cale Makar (Calgary, AB) has been named the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Top Defenceman for 2016-17, it was announced today. Makar is the first Bandit to ever win the national award, and the second Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) player to win it in the five-year history of the award.
Makar, 18, is currently ranked ninth among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting as his AJHL and Western Canada Cup champion Bandits begin their RBC Cup national championship tournament schedule tomorrow against the Terrebonne Cobras.
The 5’11”, 179lb defenceman was named AJHL Most Valuable Player and Top Defenceman after leading all league defencemen with 75 points (24 goals, 51 assists), ranking sixth overall in league scoring and fifth in assists in a year in which he missed several games in order to serve as captain of Team Canada West at the annual World Junior A Challenge.
It’s his second national award win in his two-season Junior A career, as he was also named the CJHL Rookie of the Year last season, a year in which he was also MVP of the 2017 RBC Cup, a gold medal winner at the World Junior A Challenge, and AJHL rookie of the year, among other honours.
Makar has also been nominated for the CJHL Most Valuable Player award, whose winner will also be announced in the lead-up to the RBC Cup.
The Bandits take on the Terrebonne Cobras tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 PM Mountain time, with pre-game coverage beginning at 1:00 PM on Real Country 105.7.