April 10, 2024, Mississauga, ON – …. Parker Forlin of the Niagara Falls Canucks is the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Scholastic Player of the Year, the league announced today.
“Parker had a tremendous rookie season in the league,” Canucks Head Coach Frank Pietrangelo told the OJHL.”He was chosen to play in the OJHL Top Prospects/Future Game, played in all 56 regular season games, amassing 24 goals, 30 assists for 54 points as a 17-year-old. That was the third highest point total on our team.
“More impressive was his 96-per-cent average as a Grade 12 student in high school. We are tremendously proud of Parker’s achievements, both on and off the ice, and know he has a very bright future ahead of him.”
Forlin says organization is the key to attaining solid marks while playing Junior A hockey.
“It’s all about time management,” he told the OJHL. “My mom’s a teacher and she’s always preaching about staying on top of school work, because if hockey doesn’t work out you have to have a backup plan.
“It’s managing to get your work done before practice or right after practice. It’s those little things, just making sure you stay up to date on things in the classroom.”
Forlin’s average has ranged from 94 to 96 per cent during his four years at A.N. Myer Secondary School in Niagara Falls.
A math and science guy, Forlin wants to “stay in the sports world” and possibly study kinesiology after high school with an eye on being a therapist.
“Or maybe sports psychology, helping younger athletes or athletes at the highest level,” he said.
Forlin had 48 points (20 goals/28 assists) in 49 games playing Jr. B for the St. Catharines Falcons of the Greater Ontario Hockey League in 2022-23. He was named to the Golden Horseshoe Conference Rookie All-Star Team.
“It’s a step above (in the OJHL),” he said. “I noticed that from Game 1. The players are quicker, faster, stronger. It took me a couple of games, but after the Governors’ Showcase (in Buffalo last September) I think I was pretty good.”
“We have a new arena. The dressing room is really good. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Forlin was a fourth-round pick of Barrie in the Ontario Hockey League’s 2022 U16 draft from the Niagara Falls North Stars AAA organization.
Jay Feldberg of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens was runner-up for Scholastic Player of the Year. Committed to NCAA Division I Boston University, the 18-year-old had 36 points (12 goals/24 assists) in 51 games this season, his second in the OJHL.
Parker Forlin will be honoured along with the other OJHL award recipients at a ceremony during the OJHL Nutrafarms Championship Series later this month.
The OJHL is announcing its 2023-24 award winners throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.
TOMORROW: Hudl InStat Top Prospect
About the OJHL – “League of Choice”
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 24 member clubs. A proud member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1993-94. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including U SPORTS, the NCAA, CHL, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL has had more than 45 NCAA Division I scholarships already this season.
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