Arcadia native Robertson wins William Hanley Trophy as OHL’s most sportsmanlike player
The Ontario Hockey League announced today that Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson of the Peterborough Petes is the 2019-20 recipient of the William Hanley Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.
Robertson led the OHL with 55 goals in just 46 games and added 31 assists for a total of 86 points.
The Arcadia native registered a plus-29 rating along with 40 penalty minutes in his third OHL season and went on a 14-game goal-scoring streak from Jan. 9-Feb. 8. Robertson was held without a goal just nine times over the course of the season, scoring a pair of hat tricks while recording two different five-point performances along the way.
His 1.20 goals-per-game pace is the seventh-highest single season figure since 1980-81, third among players under the age of 19 trailing Oshawa’s Eric Lindros (1.25, 1990-91) and Tony Tanti (1.21, 1980-81). Robertson follows in the footsteps of older brother Jason, who led the Canadian Hockey League in scoring with 117 points as a member of the Niagara IceDogs during the 2018-19 season.
“I really appreciate being recognized as the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year,” said Robertson. “I’d like to thank my general manager Mike Oke, head coach Rob Wilson, the Petes staff, and my teammates. I’d also like to thank Petes fans – you all made the PMC an electrifying building, got us excited and motivated to win and, win or loss, you were always there to support us.”
Robertson ended the year three goals shy of 100 on his OHL career, collecting 174 points (97 goals, 77 assists) over 162 career regular-season games in a Petes uniform after being the club’s first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. Robertson was widely recognized in the 2019-20 OHL Coaches Poll, finishing in six different categories including the Eastern Conference’s Most Dangerous in the Goal Area along with Best Shot.
He represented the United States in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and was a second-round selection (53rd overall) of the Maple Leafs in 2019.
“This is a proud moment for Nick and the Peterborough Petes,” said Oke. “He is one of the top players in the OHL and plays within the rules. Leading not only the OHL, but the CHL in goals is a special accomplishment. From the moment he joined the Petes, Nick has approached and played the game the right way and is more than deserving of this award.”
Robertson will be the OHL’s nominee for CHL Sportsman of the Year, an award that will be announced in the coming weeks.
Photo/CHL Images
(May 14, 2020)
