CANADIAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
CJHL Media Update
Release Date: Friday, February 16, 2024
CJHL 3 Stars of the Month – Fuelled by Gatorade
O’Marra (Trenton/OJHL); Paone (Navan/CCHL); Portner (Battlefords/SJHL) earn January accolades
TORONTO – The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced Friday that forward Adam O’Marra (Trenton Golden Hawks/OJHL); defenceman Nico Paone (Navan Grads/CCHL) and forward Ben Portner (Battlefords North Stars/SJHL) have been named the CJHL 3 Stars of the Month for January – Fuelled by Gatorade.
1ST STAR: ADAM O’MARRA, (F) TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS (OJHL) – Piling up 24 points in just eight games played, O’Marra scored 13 times and dished out 11 assists for the Golden Hawks in the first month of 2024.
Among the contributions for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s leading scorer (37G-49A-86PTS) were five-point outings versus the Haliburton County Huskies and Aurora Tigers, along with a four-point performance against the Centennial Cup host Oakville Blades.
Skating in his final campaign of junior hockey, the Mississauga, Ont., product is committed to attend Robert Morris University, in suburban Pittsburgh, Penn., on NCAA Division I scholarship next season.
With files from Jim Mason, Director of Communications (OJHL)
2ND STAR: NICO PAONE, (D) NAVAN GRADS (CCHL) – The blueliner topped all Central Canada Hockey League skaters in offensive production in January, averaging just over two points-per-game for front-running Navan.
Hailing from Niagara Falls, Ont., the 20-year-old Paone notched eight tallies and dished out 14 assists, in 10 games played, to pace the Grads offensively from the back-end.
Since rejoining the Navan roster back in early December, the Grads D-man has collected 31 points in 18 appearances on a dozen markers and 19 helpers and paces all CCHL rearguards in point-per-game average at 1.72.
With files from Sean Marcellus, Commissioner (CCHL)
3RD STAR: BEN PORTNER, (F) BATTLEFORDS NORTH STARS (SJHL) – Lighting the lamp 13 times in nine January appearances, which included four consecutive game-winning goals at one point, Portner also helped set-up seven other Battlefords markers along the way.
Also featured in the efforts for the 19-year-old from Lakeville, Minn., were five straight match-ups where he scored twice on each occasion.
Currently riding a 10-game point streak, with multiple-point efforts in nine of them, in this his initial campaign in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Portner enters a two-game weekend road set for the North Stars versus the No. 1 CJHL-ranked Flin Flon Bombers, sitting tied for fourth in SJHL scoring with 60 points, featuring 24 goals.
With files from Jeromy Corrigan, Director of Media (SJHL)
Earning Honourable Mention for the CJHL’s 3 Stars of the Month for January were Luka Sukovic, (F) Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL); Anthony Di Cesare, (F) Cobras de Terrebonne (LHJAAAQ); Dalton Andrew, (F) Winkler Flyers (MJHL); Félix Bédard, (F) Edmundston Blizzard (MHL); Hudson Chitaroni, (F) Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL); and Edison Weeks, (F) Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL).
For more information
Andy Harkness
President
Canadian Junior Hockey League
aharkness@cjhlhockey.com (Email)
Tom Annelin
Director of Communications
Canadian Junior Hockey League
annelin@cjhlhockey.com (Email)
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