BROOKS, AB (March 28, 2018) – Brooks Bandits captain Dennis Cesana (Providence, RI) has been named to the 2017-18 Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) South All-League Team, while forward Simon Boyko (Mississauga, ON) and defenceman Luke Bast (Red Deer, AB) have been named to the South All-Rookie Team, it was announced today.
The teams are comprised of six players (one goalie, two defencemen, three forwards) as voted on by the coaches and general managers of the league.
Cesana, 19, became the first AJHL defenceman in 28 years to score 61 assists, the fifth-most in league history, as he set a team record for assists and tied the team record for points by a defenceman with 75 (14 goals, 61 assists) in a full 60-game campaign. It followed up a year in which Cesana was named to the South All-Rookie Team after scoring 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) in 59 games. This season, he was by far the highest scoring defenceman in the AJHL and the fourth-highest scoring player overall. He is committed to attend and play for Michigan State University.
Boyko, 19, was the sixth-highest scoring rookie in the league this season, and had the fifth most assists, recording 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) in 56 games, after joining the Bandits from the New Jersey Hitmen of the USPHL. He is committed to attend and play for the University of Vermont.
Bast, 17, was the fourth-highest scoring rookie defenceman in the AJHL with 31 points (8 goals, 23 assists) in 57 games, after joining the team from the Red Deer Chiefs midget AAA team.
It is the eighth consecutive year in which the Bandits have had at least one player on the All-League Team, and the seventh consecutive year in which they have had at least one player receive All-Rookie honors.
The Bandits begin their AJHL South Final rematch against the Okotoks Oilers on Friday and Saturday for games 1 and 2 in Okotoks, before returning to the CRA for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday nights. Tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.