Phaneuf Named Chl’s Best Player For Second Straight Year

[Tipped Off]

From whl.ca

Red Deer defenceman tops Prospects Hockey’s Top 35 poll; Sidney Crosby No. 2....For the second year in a row, Dion Phaneuf has been named the No. 1 player in the Canadian Hockey League by a panel put together by Prospects Hockey magazine.

“Our panel was once again clear in picking Dion Phaneuf as the best player from across the CHL,” said Prospects Hockey managing editor Peter Robinson. “As he winds up his junior hockey career in the next couple months, Phaneuf should be remembered as one of the most dominating CHL players in recent memory.”

The Red Deer Rebels defenceman was the 2003-04 WHL defenceman of the year, and he’s played a leading role on Canada’s past two World Junior teams. Phaneuf earned tournament all-star status while helping Canada to a silver medal in 2004, and he won gold with Team Canada this year in Grand Forks, N.D. Phaneuf was named the 2005 tournament’s top defenceman. The 19-year-old Edmonton native was a first-round draft pick (ninth overall) of the Calgary Flames at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Rimouski Oceanic forward Sidney Crosby also repeated in the No. 2 spot. The 17-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., is the runaway QMJHL and CHL scoring leader and the 2003-04 CHL player of the year. Like Phaneuf, Crosby played on Canada’s past two World Junior squads. More recently, Crosby has led the Oceanic on a 20-game undefeated streak, which has included 17 straight wins.

Soo Greyhounds captain Jeff Carter was ranked No. 3 by the panel, up two spots over last year. Kitchener Rangers captain Michael Richards fell one spot to No. 4 and Kootenay Ice goaltender Jeff Glass, who was unranked last year, rounded out the Top 5.

A panel of 15 junior hockey media from across Canada picked the top 5 players from across the CHL’s 56 teams, and the next 10 from each of the CHL’s three member leagues.

The magazine is available in CHL arenas and on newsstands across Canada in early March. Prospects Hockey is the official magazine of the CHL, produced by CCMC, a Toronto-based media company. CCMC also publishes SCOREGolf and are the official publishers of the National Hockey League and Canadian Football League.

[Tinner]

congrats to Dion, now lets hope the team will build off this.

[mccabe23]

Well deserved! Good job by Dion! Maybe this will make him smile if not for a second! Kid's got the same look as Scott Stevens. You sure his last name is Phaneuf? LOL

[Furback]

Wow all i can say is wow i have never seen a player get more overatted in my life.

[Rebel66]

Wow all i can say is wow i have never seen a player get more overatted in my life.

Well you see Brent Sutter not only has the refs in his back pocket but the entire hockey community and hockey press too. How does he do it?

Congrats Dion. Yet another award, you overrated bum! (sheesh, that's just not right even in jest.......)

[Orv]

Wow all i can say is wow i have never seen a player get more overatted in my life.

The name Sidney Crosby isn't familiar?

[Rebels_chick]

Congrats Dion, another well deserved award!

[Furback]

crosby is over hyped not overatted he has owned junior hocker and he is only 17.

[Sput]

crosby is over hyped not overatted he has owned junior hocker and he is only 17.

To be truthful I haven't seen Dion play alot, but he has been through PG a few times over the years, and he is one impressive d-man. To say he is overrated is highly wrong. Yes there could be players that play better sometimes, also the media hyping a player, but I have seen Dion shine at the World Juniors, and out-play everyone else on the ice when he has been here.

As far as Crosby goes, I still reserve judgement untill he plays out west, where they hit hard and isolate players. The Q hasn't (at least to my knowlege) ever been acused of being a defensive league, and is noted for dangling skaters and play makers. IMHO Syd still has to prove himself at a higher level yet before he should get all the praise.

[Spungy]

Congratulations!!