Paronuzzi adds more honours to trophy case

Just how dominant was Connor Paronuzzi this season in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League?

The 2005-born forward from Emeryville, Ont., locked up the regular season scoring championship with weeks to spare, notching 80 points in 49 games as of Feb. 13. If he hadn’t played another regular season game after that, he would have still comfortably won the scoring title, with Northern Manitoba’s Miguel Bouvier ending the season with 74 points.

Paronuzzi has kept the honours rolling in, being officially recognized as the league’s top scorer before Steinbach’s final game of the regular season March 15. Earlier in the week he was named the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s first star of the month, posting 25 points in the 10 games considered. If those raw numbers weren’t enough, he scored two game-winning goals while adding assists on three others in that stretch.

“It was a lot of fun,” Paronuzzi said following a one assist night in the final regular season game of the season.

“I definitely got a lot of help from my teammates this year, it was a great year for all of us. Now it gets real, we’ve got to carry that into the playoffs.”

Paronuzzi credited the Pistons coaching staff for recognizing he was ready to break out, and giving him the opportunity to thrive offensively this season.

“They had full trust in me all season, they kind of gave me some free reign,” Paronuzzi said.

“I definitely had to play the right way, but when I listened to what (head coach Paul Dyck and assistant coach Calvin Bugyik) were telling me it was easy. It was a great year.”

Paronuzzi expects the team to keep up a strong pace heading into a huge playoff match-up against rivals Portage.

“For Pistons fans, know that we’re all ready,” he said.

“We can’t wait, we’re going to put on a show for everyone. We’re going for a Turnbull Cup. Be ready.”

The MJHL’s leading scorer is awarded the Mike Ridley Trophy annually. Ridley was a standout forward fro the St Boniface Saints, posting an incredible 191 points in 48 games in the 1982/1983 season. After two successful years with the University of Manitoba, he was picked up by the New York Rangers to begin a long and productive NHL career. Ridley finished with more than 750 points in 866 games played in the NHL.

BEAUCHEMIN HITS 200 GAMES

The Winkler Flyers honoured Ile des Chenes forward Brody Beauchemin prior to their game March 14.

The 2004-born Beauchemin reached the 200-game mark, all played with the Flyers.

He did it in style, getting named the player of the game with a three-point night as the Flyers blasted the Winnipeg Freeze 8-1.

The only active player with more games played in the MJHL is Dauphin’s Naaman Hofer, with 213.