Kyle Connor named USA Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year

Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey
Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

 

By @MichaelCaples –

USA Hockey announced their annual awards today, and one of the biggest is going to Shelby Township native Kyle Connor.

The University of Michigan commit was named the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year after his outstanding season with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms.

Connor, eligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and a projected first-round pick, was the USHL scoring champion for the 2014-15 season, racking up 80 points in 56 games. He led the top junior league in the country with nine game-winning goals, while being named USHL Forward of the Week five different times.

He led the Phantoms to the team’s first-ever Anderson Cup as the USHL’s regular-season champions, after they finished with a 40-14-6 record and 86 points in the standings.

Connor also captained the 2014 U.S. Junior Select Team that won the World Junior A Challenge in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, last December.

More on Kyle Connor:

Kyle Connor becomes third player in USHL history to reach 50 career goals before 18th birthday

Video: Kyle Connor at the All-American Prospects Game

MiHockey’s ‘The Shift’ with Kyle Connor

Kyle Connor, Zach Werenski in top 25 of Craig Button’s 2015 draft rankings