Last week, there were six BCHL alumni that were honoured with a weekly award in college hockey. We highlight them below in this week’s NCAA Roundup.
Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week
AJ Hodges (F) – Senior – Bentley University (Wenatchee Wild)
Hodges registered his first-career NCAA hat trick and handed out two assists in Bentley’s 6-2 win over Niagara last Friday night. The Littleton, Colo. native had a hand in five of the six goals the Falcons scored and was credited with the game-winning tally in the victory. His point production led the conference in scoring on the weekend. Hodges also finished with four shots on goal and 13 faceoff wins.
The 2001-born forward transferred to Bentley from Michigan State University in the offseason. During the 2018-19 campaign, Hodges had 35 points in 54 BCHL games with the Wenatchee Wild.
Hockey East Co-Defender of the Week
Jérémie Bucheler – Graduate – University of Vermont (Victoria Grizzlies)
Bucheler became the first Catamount defenseman to register five points in a game since 1972 in Vermont’s come-from-behind 6-2 win over UMass last Saturday night. He posted two goals and three assists for five points, including setting up the game-winning goal. It was the first multi-point game of his career.
He played the previous four years at Northeastern before transferring to Vermont during the offseason.
The Montreal, Que. native played for the Victoria Grizzlies during the 2018-19 campaign. Bucheler’s 45 points in 54 games were the fifth most by a BCHL defenceman that season and second his team.
NCHC Defenceman of the Week
Joaquim Lemay – Sophomore – University of Nebraska-Omaha (Salmon Arm Silverbacks)
Lemay helped the Mavericks sweep Long Island last weekend. In Friday’s opener, he dished out an assist on a power-play goal that made it a 2-0 game in an eventual 3-2 victory. The next night, the sophomore defenceman handed out an assist, fired seven shots on goal and scored the game-winning tally in overtime in a 5-4 victory.
Lemay spent the 2020-21 pod season with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and had 10 assists in 15 games. Following that campaign, he was selected in the fourth round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.
ECAC Hockey Defender of the Week
Tyler Rubin – Sophomore – Princeton University (West Kelowna Warriors)
Rubin tallied an assist in last Friday’s 5-4 overtime victory against Yale. The following night, he had his first multi-point game of the season with an assist on the game-tying goal in the third period and netted the game-winner in overtime, securing a 3-2 triumph over Brown. Rubin finished the weekend with three blocked shots and a plus-minus rating of four.
Before heading to college, Rubin played the 2021-22 campaign with the West Kelowna Warriors. He scored eight goals and added 26 assists for 34 points in 50 games and was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team.
ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week
Cooper Black – Sophomore – Dartmouth College (Nanaimo Clippers)
In Dartmouth’s first road series in league play, Black helped secure a tie in the opener by making 31 saves through regulation and overtime. The following night, the sophomore netminder backstopped his team with 36 saves, allowing only two goals in Dartmouth’s 3-2 victory at Colgate, concluding the weekend with a 1-0-1 record. Black posted a .944 save percentage and accumulated a total of 67 saves across the two games.
Black only played one season in the BCHL, but it was a memorable one. He led the league in save percentage during the regular season with the Nanaimo Clippers in 2021-22, posting a mark of .924. He was even more impressive in the playoffs, winning 12 straight decisions through the first three rounds and putting up a .937 save percentage, tied for best in the postseason.
CCHA Goaltender of the Week
Aaron Trotter – Sophomore – University of St. Thomas (Prince George Spruce Kings)
Trotter won his only start last week, while posting league bests in goals-against average (1.00) and save percentage (.977), aiding the Tommies to a road sweep of Bowling Green. He turned away 42 of 43 shots in a 4-1 victory on Friday night. With the only blemish coming on Falcons’ power play, he was perfect on 38 even-strength shots.
Trotter, from Victoria, B.C., played two seasons in the BCHL from 2020 to 2022. During his junior career, he posted a .919 save percentage, a 2.09 goals-against average, four shutouts and 27 wins in 48 appearances.
