North Stars’ Young named finalist for CJHL top forward

Graduating Battlefords North Stars captain Layne Young has been named one of five finalists for Canadian Junior Hockey League top forward.

The 20-year-old won the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League player of the year and MVP award in March, after recording 107 points in his final year of junior with 35 goals and 72 assists in just 57 games. The Frenchmann Butte, Sask. native was the first SJHL player to top 100 points since 2010-11 and his 107 points were the most in a single season by an SJHL player since 2000-01.

Three of the other four nominees hail from Western Junior A leagues: Chris Van Os-Shaw from the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Jasper Weatherby from the Wenatchee Wild of the British Columbia Hockey League and Dexter Kuczek from the Winnipeg Blues of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The fifth nominee is Andrew Petrucci from the Toronto Patriots of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Petrucci is the only forward other than Young to crack 100 points, as he recorded 52 goals and 48 assists in 54 games. Van Os-Shaw had 51 goals and 46 assists for 97 points, Watherby had 37 goals and 37 assists for 74 points, and Kuczek had 37 goals and 55 assists for 92 points.