Anthony Romani captured two of the six categories leading the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion in the Eastern Conference when results of the 2023-24 Coaches Poll were released Tuesday.
Romani won the smartest player and most dangerous in goal area categories, while Ty Nelson was voted best offensive defenceman, Owen Van Steensel captured most underrated player, Liam Arnsby was seen as best defensive forward and Paul Christopoulos won best shot blocker.
Van Steensel also finished third as best penalty killer, and Dom DiVincentiis was second in the best puckhandling goaltender and best shootout goaltender categories.
The Coaches Poll is tabulated when each team submits one nominee per category, and coaches then vote for the top three players for each category within their conference. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote. Clubs are not permitted to vote for players from their own team allowing for a maximum of 45 possible points for each winner.
Right winger Romani had 22 points as smartest player, with centre Dalibor Dvorsky of the Sudbury Wolves second with 17 points. Romani received 26 points as most dangerous in the goal area, in which right winger Nick Lardis of the Brantford Bulldogs was second with 23.
Dvorsky led the best shot category with 29 points, while Romani and left winger Ryan Roobroeck of the Niagara IceDogs tied for second place with 15 points apiece.
Nelson won best offensive defenceman voting with 35 points after finishing third in the category in each of the last two seasons. Henry Mews of the Ottawa 67’s was second with 23 points.
Left winger Van Steensel was selected most underrated player with 29 points. Left winger Luke Torrance of Oshawa was second with 23.
In a tight vote, centre Cole Beaudoin of the Barrie Colts won best penalty killer with 19 points, while Torrance was second with 16 and Van Steensel third with 15.
Centre Arnsby captured the best defensive forward category with 31 points, repeating his accomplishment of last year. He was second in 2021-22. Beaudoin finished runner-up with 17 points.
Defenceman Christopoulos topped best shot blocker voting with 27 points ahead of second-place finisher Ben Danford, an Oshawa rearguard who had 21 points.
DiVincentiis finished second to Oshawa’s Jacob Oster in the goaltending categories. Oster had 22 points and DiVincentiis 21 as best puckhandlng goaltender, which DiVincentiis won in 2022-23, while Oster received 28 points and the Battalion stalwart 16 as best shootout goaltender, also won by DiVincentiis last year.
A couple of local overage OHLers were recognized too.
Powassan product Connor Punnett of the Oshawa Generals won the hardest shot category with 34 points after finishing second a year ago, while Nelson was second with 17 points. The overage defender who was recently signed by the Dallas Stars, won the voting last year.
For the second year in a row, Corbeil's Ben Gaudreau of the Erie Otters was voted third in the Western Conference's best puckhandling goaltenders.
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