Grande Prairie Storm goaltender Connor Mackenzie is receiving another recognition for the 2022/2023 season, being named one of five finalists for the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Year award. Mackenzie, along with the other four finalists, was chosen through a voting process done through the CJHL’s nine member leagues.
Back in March, Mackenzie was named the top goaltender in the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s regular season, receiving the Friends of the AJHL Trophy. Throughout the season the netminder led the AJHL with a .929 save percentage, while being named the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game 13 times throughout his career with the Grande Prairie team.
Along with his work and accomplishments on the ice, Mackenzie spearheaded the Lift the Mask on Mental Health campaign this season, which brought Storm players into dozens of classrooms around the Grande Prairie region to talk about mental health. The campaign raised more than $40,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association of Northwest Alberta. Mackenzie was nominated by the Storm organization as the RBC AJHL Community Ambassador for his work on this initiative.
The other four goalies up for national recognition include Alexandre Marchand from the Quebec Junior Hockey League, Kobe Grant from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, James Norton from the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Josh Kotai from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.