Heelis nominated for CIS Male Athlete of the Year

The 22nd Annual BLG Awards: CIS athlete of the year nominees announced

Liam Heelis(HALIFAX, N.S.) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport and national law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) announced Tuesday the eight finalists for the 22nd Annual BLG Awards.  Acadia men’s hockey player Liam Heelis is the AUS’s male nominee for male athlete from universities affiliated with CIS.

The BLG Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top female and male athletes from universities affiliated with CIS.On Monday, April 28, the eight national nominees will be honoured at the EPCOR Centre’s Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary. One female and one male winner will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, while all finalists will return home with a commemorative gold ring.

The 2014 awards show will premiere nationally on Sportsnet 360 on Thursday, May 15, at 9 p.m. EDT. A replay is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at 1 p.m. EDT, also on Sportsnet 360.

The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of the 54 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport (AUS), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA). To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.

All nominees receive a commemorative gold ring and winners are presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian university graduate school. Winners are selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process. The CAF Board of Trustees consists of 20 members from five Canadian cities representing major corporations from across the country who are committed to ensuring that Canadian university athletes receive the recognition they deserve.

2013-2014 AUS MALE BLG AWARD NOMINEE (Doug Mitchell Trophy) 

Atlantic University Sport (AUS)

Liam Heelis
 Acadia University
Sport: Hockey
Year of eligibility: 3
Academic program: Science (Bachelor of Science in Psychology)
Hometown: Georgetown, Ont.

Liam Heelis’ hockey season started back in August with his participation at the Florida Panthers NHL prospects camp and didn’t slow down from there.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward exploded in his third campaign with the Acadia University Axemen, winning the AUS conference scoring title with 42 points – including a CIS-leading 24 goals – in only 26 league games. A terrific special teams player, the sniper tied for the CIS lead with four short-handed markers and was second in the AUS with seven power play goals. He also potted three game-winners and ranked second in the Maritimes with 117 shots.

Thanks in large part to his stellar play, the Axemen took second place in the ultra-competitive Atlantic conference with a superb 21-4-3 record and went on to capture their first AUS banner – and book their first ticket for the University Cup national championship – since 2006.

During the December break, the science major was part of an AUS all-star team that travelled to Trentino, Italy to represent Canada at the Winter World University Games. Following a 2-1 semifinal victory over two-time defending champion Russia, whose powerful lineup included no less than 11 players with KHL experience, the Canadians defeated Kazakhstan 6-2 in the gold-medal final to claim the country’s fourth FISU title.

Hockey is in his blood and sport is part of the family genetics.

A former OHL player with Owen Sound and Peterborough, Heelis spent countless winters in the backyard on a rink his father built ever year. His mom, Adele, and his uncle, Pat, are both former University of Waterloo student-athletes in basketball and hockey, respectively, while his aunt, Jennifer, played basketball at the University of Guelph. His sister, Katie, competed in cheerleading for two years at Wilfrid Laurier University and his younger brother, 16-year-old Daniel, was recently drafted by Owen Sound in the OHL Priority Selection.

Heelis’ hometown of Georgetown, Ont., a small community 40 minutes North-West of Toronto, is known for “Little NHL”, where organized minor hockey leagues began.

“I strongly feel that Liam epitomizes what a CIS student-athlete should be,” says Acadia head coach Darren Burns. “There is no question his abilities as a player was evident this year on the ice. However, his ability to be a leader on our campus and in the community is even more impressive. There is no doubt is work ethic, passion and overall commitment to success make him an excellent candidate for this prestigious award.”

Official BLG Awards website, please click here.

For the complete CIS release, please click here.

Source: CIS Communications