Breaking: Hawks’ top prospect DeBrincat wins illustrious award

Alex DeBrincat: Chicago Blackhawks draft choice and CHL Player of the Year. How’s that sound? The CHL formally announced yesterday that the 19 year-old Erie Otters winger has won the league’s most illustrious award for 2016-17. 

The speedy and tenacious forward earned the award by producing an eye-popping 65 goals and 127 points in 63 games for the Otters this season. DeBrincat has another trophy on his mind these days, however. His team takes on the Windsor Spitfires in the Memorial Cup Final from Windsor today. A Memorial Cup championship would be a fitting finale to an tremendous junior hockey career that’s seen DeBrincat put together three consecutive 100+ point seasons.

There are questions surrounding DeBrincat’s NHL future, however. Standing at only 5’7” and weighing only 170 lbs, there’s concern that he won’t be able to adapt to the big, rough and tumble game of the NHL, but the player brushes those concerns aside. After all, he’s been defying the odds his entire life.