Jerry D'Amigo of Rensselaer (l); Keith Kinkaid of Union (c); and Louis Leblanc of HarvardALBANY, N.Y. -- ECAC Hockey today announced the finalists for the 2009-10 Men’s Rookie of the Year Award. Jerry D’Amigo of Rensselaer; Keith Kinkaid of Union; and Harvard’s Louis Leblanc have each been named finalists for the honor by the League’s coaches.
D’Amigo enjoyed a productive rookie season as he ranked second in the league among his counterparts in scoring averaging 1.14 points per game (7g-17a-24pts) in conference play. Recently named a member of this season’s ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team, D’Amigo played in 35 overall games, tallying 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points. The freshman forward finished fourth on the team in goals and third in assists and points. Three of his goals this season came on the power-play, one was shorthanded, and three were game-winners.
Union rookie, Keith Kinkaid is another finalist for the league’s top rookie award. He received double recognition this year as a league Third-Team selection and an All-Rookie Team pick. The Farmingville, NY native posted a conference record of 10-4-2 along with a .910 save percentage. His honors this season include being named to the Hockey Commissioners’ Association Honorable Rookie Mention of the Month for November, a two time ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week (Nov. 30 and Feb. 22), and a two time ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week (Nov. 16 and Dec. 7).
The final candidate for the league’s rookie award is Harvard freshman forward Louis Leblanc. Leblanc is the Crimson’s leading scorer with 23 points. He scored all 11 of his goals and registered nine of his 10 assists in league play, leading league freshmen in goals and ranking third in the league in points among rookies. He tied for second in ECAC Hockey with three game-winning goals in league play. A native of Kirkland, Que., and the Montreal Canadiens' first-round selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Leblanc was twice named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week. He ranks sixth nationally in freshman goal-scoring and 11th in point-scoring among rookies.
