TORONTO – The Ontario Hockey Association held its annual award ceremonies on Friday, June 7 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Two members of the Buffalo Junior Sabres’ 2012-13 edition were among the honorees.
Tyler Gjurich (at left in photo) was named as the OHA’s Junior A Player of the Year while head coach and general manager Michael Peca was named the organization’s Coach of the Year.
Gjurich became just the second player in franchise history to score 50 or more goals in a season when he netted 53 in the 2012-13 regular season. His honor as Jr. A Player of the Year is only the second time a Buffalo-based U.S. born junior player has received the honor (the first was Chris Moran of the former Buffalo Lightning in 2005).
Peca, in his second year as GM but first as its head coach, steered the team to its first ever Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division and South-West Conference first place regular season finishes.
To mark the occasion, Gjurich’s game-used gloves have been donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame for inclusion in the Hall’s “year in review” exhibit, after which the gloves will be added permanently to the institution’s archive.
* * * * *
Contributed photo
