Belanger named AUS Rookie of the Year and Community Service Award winner

(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2023-24 AUS men's hockey major award winners and all-stars as selected by the conference's seven head coaches following regular season play.

Third-year UNB forward Austen Keating (Guelph, Ont.) has been chosen as the AUS Most Valuable Player.

Other AUS men’s hockey major award winners announced today were Dalhousie’s Alec Bélanger (Quebec City, Que.) who earned both Rookie of the Year and Student-Athlete and Community Service honours; UNB’s Brady Gilmour (Grafton, Ont.) who was named Most Sportsmanlike Player; and UNB’s Gardiner McDougall, who was named AUS Men’s Hockey Coach of the Year.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (A.J. MacAdam Trophy): Alec Bélanger, Dalhousie Tigers

The AUS Rookie of the Year and recipient of the A.J. MacAdam Trophy for the 2023-24 season is Dalhousie Tigers forward, Alec Bélanger.

The Kinesiology student from Quebec City, Que., had an exceptional first season in the AUS, finishing fifth in the league in goals scored (16). He added seven assists to give himself 23 points in 25 games played. In addition to this honour, Bélanger was also selected to the 2024 AUS All-Rookie Team. Dalhousie finished the regular season at 7-21-2-0 and out of the playoffs.

Prior to beginning his AUS career, Bélanger played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Ottawa 67’s and Kingston Frontenacs. 

Bélanger is the first Tigers player to earn conference Rookie of the Year honours since Phil Gadoury did so back in the 2015-16 season. Bélanger now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Clare Drake Award for U SPORTS rookie of the year.

AUS players have earned the national honour the last five consecutive seasons — UNB’s Samuel Richard in 2022-23, STFX’s Liam Hawel in 2021-22, Saint Mary’s Mitchell Balmas in 2019-20, Moncton's Étienne Monpetit in 2018-19 and UNB's Kris Bennett in 2017-18.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (The Godfrey Award): Alec Bélanger, Dalhousie Tigers

The 2023-24 recipient of the Godfrey Award for the Student-Athlete Community Service and AUS nominee for the prestigious Dr. Randy Gregg Award is Alec Bélanger from the Dalhousie Tigers.

Named for Dr. Bill Godfrey, this award is given annually to the player who best represents the spirit of intercollegiate hockey by his leadership both on and off the ice and by his conduct throughout the season.

A Kinesiology student from Quebec City, Que., Bélanger led the Tigers in points (23) and goals (16) in just 25 games played. Off the ice he earned a 3.4 GPA in the fall semester and is trending towards his first Academic All-Canadian honour.

Away from the rink and classroom, Bélanger is the Co-Chair and acting lead executive for Extra Awesome – Dalhousie, a student-run volunteer-based program that offers academic support and facilitates physical activity participation for Halifax youth with Down Syndrome and their siblings.

Bélanger started the program during the fall semester and has seen it grow to include more than 40 student volunteers and 25 participants. Due to its positive impact and the attention it has received, Bélanger was invited to attend dinner with Dalhousie University President, Kim Brooks.

“Alec has not only had a tremendous impact on our athletic program, but within the entire Dalhousie campus,” said Tim Maloney, Dalhousie Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation. “He embodies the essence of this award.”

Bélanger becomes the first Dalhousie player to win this award since Chris Stanley did so exactly 20 years ago in 2003-04.

Full AUS Release

2023-24 AUS ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

First Team All-Stars
Goaltender: Thomas Couture, Acadia (1^st year – Lévis, Que.)
Defence: Kale McCallum, UNB (2^nd year – Rothesay, N.B.)
Defence: Jacob Dion, Université de Moncton (2^nd year – Sherbrooke, Que.)
Forward: Austen Keating, UNB (3^rd year – Guelph, Ont.)
Forward: Brady Gilmour, UNB (4^th year – Grafton, Ont.)
Forward: Matthew Struthers, STFX (3^rd year – Milton, Ont.)

Second Team All-Stars
Goaltender: Jonah Capriotti, UPEI (5^th year – Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Defence: Adam McCormick, UNB (3^rd year – Waterville, N.B.)
Defence: Kade Landry, UNB (3^rd year – Gowanstown, Ont.)
Forward: Kaleb Pearson, UPEI (3^rd year – St. Marys, Ont.)
Forward: Jacob Hudson, STFX (3^rd year – Antigonish, N.S.)
Forward: Jérémy Michel, Université de Moncton (2^nd year – Lévis, Que.)

All-Rookie Team
Goaltender: Thomas Couture, Acadia (Lévis, Que.)
Defence: Charlie Callaghan, STFX (Toronto, Ont.)
Defence: Marc-Antoine Mercier, Université de Moncton (Forestville, Que.)
Forward: Jeremy Lapointe, Université de Moncton (Drummondville, Que.)
Forward: Alec Bélanger, Dalhousie (Quebec City, Que)
Forward: Sean McGurn, UNB (Ottawa, Ont.)