Moose Jaw Warriors forward Justin Almeida earned a reputation as a class act both on and off the ice during his time with the team – and now he has the Canadian Hockey League hardware to prove it even further.
Almeida, who just completed his 19-year-old season, won the Western Hockey League’s most sportsmanlike player award last month and on Saturday afternoon claimed the CHL’s Bumper to Bumper Sportsman of the Year award at the CHL awards ceremony in Halifax.
“It’s definitely an honour when you win your league, you’re very happy and then when you go up against other leagues and they choose you, it’s a big honour and it’s something I’m excited about,” Almeida said in a WHL.ca interview.
Almeida scored 33 goals and 111 points on the season while recording only 14 minutes in penalties. Incredibly, it was the highest penalty minute total of his WHL career after taking no penalties in 2015-16 in 48 games with Prince George, only 10 minutes in 2016-17 between the Cougars and Warriors and 10 minutes total with the Tribe while playing all 72 games in 2017-18.
“I like being on ice as much as I can,” Almeida said when asked about how he maintained such low sin-bin numbers. “I don’t like the feeling of sitting in the box hoping they don’t score on the power play, so any time I can be on the ice I feel like it’s better for my team.”
It certainly doesn’t hurt that he produces points at the rate he does, something the Pittsburgh Penguins noticed when they chose him in the 2018 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level deal earlier this season.
That’s where Almeida’s focus will lie in the coming months as he prepares for his first post-junior NHL training camp while recovering from the recently completed campaign.
“It’s just off-season training right now and getting ready for next season,” Almeida said. “I had shoulder surgery a while back so I’m rehabbing from that and getting back to 100 per cent and looking forward to next year.”
Also nominated for the award were Nick Suzuki of the OHL’s Guelph Storm and Peter Abbandonato of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Warriors forward Brayden Tracey – who played on the CHL’s highest scoring line alongside Almeida and Tristin Langan – was nominated for the Wawanesa rookie of the year award but lost out to Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves. Jordan Spence of the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats was the other nominee.
Rimouski’s Alex Lafreniere was named the Sportsnet player of the year, Spokane’s Ty Smith defenceman of the year, Prince Albert’s Ian Scott goaltender of the year, Rouyn-Noranda’s Mario Pouliot coach of the year, Everett’s Dustin Wolf scholastic player of the year, Vancouver’s Bowen Byram the top prospect and Rimouski’s Charle-Edouard D’Astous humanitarian of the year.
