MMJHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Riley Beauchemin’ s
Dream Season
By Johnston Hall Photos by James Carey Lauder
GOALIE OF THE MONTH, HUNTER PLOSZAY
For the second time this season, the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League’ s leading scorer, Riley Beauchemin of the St. Vital Victorias, is the MMJHL’ s Player of the Month. One of Game On’ s featured MMJHL players in the 2016 Holiday Edition, Beauchemin is having a dream season. He’ s the leading scorer in the MMJHL and has been Player of the Month in November and January of this season. In November, Beauchemin, the winner of the Dave Anderson Trophy as MMJHL rookie of the year last season, scored eight goals and had 16 points in only eight games and earned MMJHL Player of the Month as he got the Vics into seventh place. The Vics( at press time) are now 18-12-5 and have moved into fifth place, thanks in no small way to the play of their 5-foot-11, 160-pound leading scorer. In January, Beauchemin had eight goals and 25 points in nine games and had shot to the top of the scoring lead in the MMJHL. At press time, Beauchemin had 32 goals and 68 points this season. It’ s truly been an amazing year for the former MHSAA High School star. Meanwhile, January’ s Goaltender of the Month was Hunter Ploszay of the Stonewall Jets. The goalie who led the Jets to the MMJHL championship last spring played seven games and had a goals against average of 2.16 and a save percentage of. 937. He went 5-2-0 in the month and had the Jets in second place in the MMJHL with a record of 24-9-0. The Defenseman of the Month was K. C. Mason of the Victorias. Mason had a goal and 11 points in nine games. And Jonah Cook of the Victorias was named Rookie of the Month as St. Vital took three of the league’ s four monthly honors. Cook had five goals and 15 points in nine games. However, the clear star of the month was Beauchemin, the 19-year-old who started his hockey career in Ile Des Chenes and played three seasons of MHSAA High School hockey with the Lorette Scorpions. These days, as the Vics move up the MMJHL standings and start challenging the top teams – Charleswood, Stonewall, Pembina Valley and St. James – Beauchemin is still convinced his young Vics have a shot.“ We’ re getting there,” he told John Ploszay of Game On Magazine.“ Our speed kills and our offense is ridiculous with skill. We don’ t really have any weaknesses and I think we have one of the best goalies in the league in Nolan Bray. I think we’ ll be pretty good come playoff time.” If Beauchemin keeps scoring and the young Vics keep improving, there is no telling how far they can go. n