April 19, 2023 – The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League is pleased to announce the winner of the Cpl. Tyler Crooks Award along with the recipients of the Frank Santarosa Scholarship.
The Cpl. Tyler Crooks Memorial Award as Player of the Year in the Golden Horseshoe Conference goes to Jason Gee from the Pelham Panthers.
Along with the trophy, Gee will receive a $500 bursary. The 21-year-old defenceman and Kitchener native scored 6 goals and added 5 assists in the regular season. The Panthers’ captain is a well-respected leader both on and off the ice.
The Frank Santarossa Scholarship winners this year are:
Drew Booker from the LaSalle Vipers. Booker had 13 goals and 35 points this season. The 19-year-old from Amherstburg added 3 points in 9 playoff games for the Vipers.
Jacob McEachern from the Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins. The 20-year-old forward from Burlington had an outstanding season with 22 goals and 68 points. He added 22 points in 16 playoff games.
The Frank Santarossa Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to players of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League to help further their education. The fund was created in 1988 in memory of the late Frank Santarossa who played for the Kitchener Dutchmen and the Cambridge Winter Hawks in the mid-80s. Santarossa lost his life in a tragic car accident in the winter of 1987.
Up to five players are awarded the Frank Santarossa Scholarship each year, with each player receiving $1,000. Frank’s father Lino, along with a small group of friends, started the scholarship fund in Frank’s memory and in 26 years the Scholarship Fund has awarded close to $100 thousand.
Congratulations to these GOJHL award winners!
