Congratulations to Louca Connolly and Sam Berthiaume who have won the Young/Knickle Award as Top Goaltending Duo in the MHL. This is the 11th time the Bearcats have won the award since its inception in 1995/96 and the first time the Bearcats have won the award since Kevin Resop and Alec MacDonald in 2017/18. Well deserved, Louca and Sam!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Truro, N.S. (March 18, 2026) – The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is pleased to announce that the Truro Bearcats have won the Young/Knickle Award for the top goaltending duo. The award is presented annually to the team that allows the fewest goals in a season. As a team, the Bearcats allowed 145 goals in 52 games, three fewer than last season where they finished second to Edmundston.
Louca Connolly, from Mercier, Quebec, led all goaltenders with a 2.69 goals against average. The 18-year-old posted a record of 19-5-2-1 and was tied with two others for the second-best save percentage at .908. Connolly was one of four goaltenders to have two shutouts this season, which trailed only Edmundston’s Cedric Massé, who had four. Connolly was named Top Goaltender and Top Rookie in November and was an Honourable Mention for both awards in September. He was named to the Eastlink South Team of the Week five times.
Sam Berthiaume, from Stellarton, N.S., had a 12-4-0-0 record for the Bearcats with a 2.29 goals against average, .927 save percentage, and two shutouts. The 16-year-old was 52 minutes played shy of being a qualified goaltender for league leaders, or his GAA and SV% would have been considered the best in the MHL. He allowed two or fewer goals in nine of his sixteen games. Berthiaume was named the MHL’s Top Rookie and an Honourable Mention for Top Goalie in February/March, and was named to the Eastlink South Team of the Week three times.