April 2, 2010
Media Contact: Mark Majewski (617) 373-3643

The New England Hockey Writers Division I All-Star teams and awards have been finalized after tallying votes from all Division I coaches and respective media outlets throughout New England. This year’s banquet will be held on Tuesday, April 13 at the Prince Restaurant in Saugus, Mass. The banquet will start at 6 p.m. All awards and All-Star teams will be presented at the gala. All coaches, student-athletes, family members and friends are encouraged to attend Tuesday’s banquet. Contact Pete Souris at (781) 245-2122 for information on attending this event. Cost is $35 per person.

University of New Hampshire senior Bobby Butler swept the New England MVP and Best Forward awards. Butler is a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist and helped direct the Wildcats to the 2010 NCAA Tournament as one of three Hockey East constituents.

University of Massachusetts-Amherst blue liner Justin Braun was the top vote-getter for New England’s Best Defenseman while University of Massachusetts-Lowell’s Ben Holmstrom earned Best Defensive Forward laurels. Braun’s defensive prowess was recognized at the Hockey East awards banquet after being named the 2009-10 Hockey East Old Time Hockey Defensive Defenseman. Both seniors have signed professional contracts with the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers, respectively.

Merrimack’s Stephane Da Costa was nearly a unanimous choice for New England’s Rookie of the Year. The Paris, France native leads all rookies nationally with 1.32 points per game (16-29-45) and has already been tapped as the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year and College Hockey News Rookie of the Year.

Sophomore Cam Atkinson of Boston College was selected as New England’s Most Improved Player. In Atkinson’s freshman campaign, the Greenwich, Conn. native tallied a scoring line of 7-12-19. This season, the second-year forward has upped his totals to 27-23-50 and is the Eagles’ leading point scorer.

After leading Merrimack to its first Hockey East Tournament appearance since 2004, Warriors’ skipper Mark Dennehy was named the New England Division I Coach of the Year. Dennehy directed Merrimack to a Division I team-record 16 victories and was also recognized as the Hockey East Co-Coach of the Year.

Fourth-year forward Mike Atkinson of Quinnipiac is the 2009-10 Joe Tomasello Award recipient for this season’s ‘Unsung Hero Award’. Atkinson put together a scoring line of 9-8-17 in his final go-round for the Bobcats.

Ned Bunyon, long time referee in both the ECAC and Hockey East, was bestowed with the Parker/York Award for Contribution to New England hockey posthumously. Bunyon is a former president of the National Ice Hockey Officials Association (NIHOA).