By any measure, Colin Behenna (Waterloo) is one of the greatest players in Waterloo Warriors history. Now, he's being recognized as one of the best players in his league.
Behenna was named the OUA West division Most Valuable Player and a first-team OUA all-star on Thursday, as the OUA announced its season-ending awards and all-stars. Behenna wasn't the only Warrior honoured, as defenceman Mike Moffat (Waterloo) won the OUA West Randy Gregg Award of Merit, while also being named a second-team all-star. Joining Moffat as a second-team all-star was fellow blueliner Joe Underwood (Canton), who garnered his fourth straight OUA all-star nod.
Behenna, a fourth-year Math and Business Admin student, became just the fifth player in Warriors history to win a league MVP award. He was simply dominant in 2015-16, registering 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 27 games. He led the OUA West division in points, goals, power play goals, short-handed goals, and game-winning goals, and he finished third in the CIS in scoring.
"It's obviously pretty neat to be recognized for this award," said Behenna. "It's cool to be recognized by the other coaches in the league (who vote on the award). I feel really proud about that, but a lot of it comes from the guys I played with."
Behenna got off to a stellar start in 2015-16, registering 21 points in 15 games before the Christmas break. But when the calendar flipped to 2016, Behenna reached another level: 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in just 12 games, as Behenna cemented his place as one of the top players in the nation.
"There are lots of factors that make his season even more impressive," added Warriors head coach Brian Bourque. "We're a team that plays four lines, so for the majority of the season, in 5-on-5 play, he only played every fourth shift. And we often played him with a lot of first-year or second-year players this season. He was able to make those guys better."
Defencemen Moffat and Underwood were also honoured alongside Behenna, as they were both named second-team all-stars for the OUA West division. The pair, along with fellow rearguard Stephen Silas (Georgetown), formed a dynamic attack the back end for Waterloo, as each D-man amassed at least 26 points this season.
Moffat finished with an OUA West division-leading 10 goals by a defenceman, adding 17 assists for 27 points in 27 games. The 2nd year kinesiology student also excelled in the classroom and the community, which earned him a nomination for the Dr. Randy Gregg Award (awarded to the CIS player who best combines outstanding hockey ability, academic achievement and community involvement).
In addition to his stellar performance on the ice, the former Kingston Frontenacs captain is heavily involved in year-long fundraising events with Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Moffat also volunteers with Send 'em Off Smiling, a program that provides children in need with school supplies, and he's a volunteer assistant coach with the Waterloo Wolves minor atom 'AAA' hockey team.
"It's nice to get the recognition for things off the ice," said Moffat. "There are a lot of guys that contribute in the community. We're preparing for our future off the ice, and we're trying to keep a balance. At Waterloo, we're given an opportunity to step in and help out in the community."
"His skillset is phenomenal; his abilities are at a pro level," added Bourque. "Without a doubt, we take a lot of pride in our guys being good students. To qualify for the (Randy Gregg) award, you have to do a lot away from the rink and away from school. It seems simple, but he's exactly what we're always looking for."
Moffat also produced at a high level despite a midseason shift on the power play. In order to get Underwood, Silas, and Moffat more power play ice time, Bourque moved Moffat to the wing on the top man advantage unit. The move paid immediate dividends – Waterloo's power play percentage improved from 13.0% before the change to 28.8% for the rest of the year.
Meanwhile, Underwood caps his illustrious career with his fourth straight OUA All-Star selection – becoming only the fifth Warrior in school history to earn four all-star nods. The Warriors captain for the last three seasons, Underwood also becomes the only player in school history to be named to the OUA All-Star or All-Rookie teams in five straight seasons.
"When I came here, Brian gave me a great opportunity," said Underwood, whose 130 career games are second-most in team history. "I think we went through some stretches this year where, offensively, we struggled a bit as a team. Our priority was defence first, but the points were a bonus."
Underwood's final season was, statistically, his best one – while he found the twine just twice, he added a team-leading 24 assists for 26 points. He once again led the Warriors in ice time, and he also became just the second defenceman in Waterloo history to crack the 100-point plateau for his career.
"You can't say enough about Joe, and what he's done for our program as a leader," said Bourque. "His game has truly grown over the years. It's evolved on the offensive side of things, but he continued to be responsible defensively."
While Behenna, Moffat and Underwood were all proud of their honours, each was quick to say they would have traded the individual accolades for a longer postseason run. But while the awards and career achievements are tough to put into context now, Behenna is certain that their impact on the program will set in as time goes by.
"All those guys are such natural players," said Behenna. "It's obviously something we're really proud of. It's something I can take pride in, and I can maybe tell my kids about my success at the University level."
