Sitting one-two atop the Great North U18 AAA League standings this year, the North Bay U18 Trappers and Sault Ste Marie U18 Jr Greyhounds found themselves at least 16 points clear of their next nearest competitor (Sudbury U16 AAA Wolves).

Not surprisingly, that gap was also evident when the league doled out their year-end hardware, with both North Bay and the Soo securing a good number of the more coveted individual trophies, as well as combining to account for 67% of the all-star team lineup.

Representing the GNU18L at the upcoming Central Region U18 AAA Hockey Championships in Markham at the end of the month, the Trappers were recognized both off the ice - Josh Dale (Coach of the Year) & Mike Brideau (Manager of the Year) - as well as on the ice via Caleb Moyer (Most Gentlemanly Player) and Scott Szczygiel (Top Defensive Forward).

Sault Ste Marie sniper Espen Escasa followed up his 20-point triumph in the league scoring race (44G - 48A - 92 pts; versus 72 pts for 2nd place finisher Niko Lessard - Kapuskasing Flyers) by walking away with most the Most Valuable Player and Top Forward accolades.

Teammates Dreyon Boissoneau was tapped as Top Defenseman in the ten-team loop, with Morgan Hyndman (New Liskeard Cubs) selected as Top Goaltender and draft-eligible prospect Nicholas Christakos (Sudbury U16 AAA Wolves) chosen as Rookie of the Year.

Escasa and Lessard were joined as all-star forwards by Francis Popkie of North Bay, with fellow Trapper Jayson Synott rounding out the blueline brigade with Boissoneau, Hyndman picked as all-star netminder and Dave Losier (Kapuskasing Flyers) named, once again, as Trainer of the Year.