Northumberland Division Award Winners

Northumberland Division 2025–2026 Award Winners

With the regular season wrapped up, the Northumberland Division is proud to recognize the players, leaders, and supporters who made this season memorable.

Organization of the Year – East Hants Penguins

It starts from the top down, and the Penguins set the standard across the division. From management to coaching staff, players, and volunteers, the commitment to excellence was evident at every level. While many teams could have earned this honour in our inaugural season, East Hants separated themselves and will be known going forward as an organization built on excellence.

Coach of the Year – Lou Lanceleve (Truro Bearcats)

The Bearcats finished with a 15–5 record, including a league-high 11-game winning streak. After starting the season 0–2, Truro went 15–3 the rest of the way a testament to Lanceleve’s competitive coaching style and his ability to bring out the best in his players night in and night out. Even when key players were out of the line up Lou could always cook up the best recipe for success. 

GM of the Year – Matt Ryder (Antigonish Bulldogs)

Building a team in a new league is no easy task, especially in a town with other successful hockey clubs, but Matt Ryder took on the challenge and the results speak for themselves.

Ryder built the Bulldogs exactly how you’d expect a team from Antigonish to be: hard to play against, big, strong, and consistently able to win the close games. His vision and leadership in assembling a competitive roster earned him this year’s GM of the Year award.

Fan Base of the Year – Truro Bearcats

This year’s award goes to the hometown faithful of Truro, the true heartbeat of their team! In their first four home games, they packed the Colchester Legion Stadium with over 1,500 fans per night, and even by season’s end, they consistently drew over 1,000 passionate supporters most nights. Truro fans’ energy, loyalty, and love for hockey inspire the players and make every game an event. From volunteers behind the scenes to Owner Kevin Dawe, the fans’ support drives the organization forward. They are the deserving winners of this award and will continue to be the driving force behind the Bearcats’ push toward a Hollingsworth Cup Championship.

Stay tuned as our Major Award winners will be announced tomorrow.

Photo Credits - Nick Gaines Sports Photography