John Murray from OEMHL visits OHA for awards ceremony

Monday night, John Murray representing the OEMHL AAA League presented Alex White with a plaque for the Major Midget Scoring Leader of the 2011/12 season. The OHA Gold Boys team received a plaque for winning both the regular season and the playoffs. This is the first time in league history that a Major Midget team went 8-0 in the playoffs! Great job boys!

OHA 2012 Graduation Speaker: Jesse Winchester

 

Article and Photo by Jason Setnyk

He wears number 18 for the Ottawa Senators, and he was the keynote speaker for the Ontario Hockey Academy ceremony. Jesse Winchester who was born in Cornwall Ontario and raised in nearby Long Sault spoke to the graduating class of 2012. Winchester played Junior A hockey with the Cornwall Colts, and was offered a full hockey scholarship at Colgate University, where he played four seasons of NCAA D1 hockey. 

Winchester was offered an opportunity before graduating to accept a contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, but instead he choose to finish his studies first. He gave some advices to the graduates, "take your time, work hard, and you will get there". Winchester was offered a contact by the Ottawa Senators after graduation.

Dr. Kris Rothley, principal of the Ontario Hockey Academy was impressed by Winchester's message. "Jesse was emphasizing the importance of hard work, education, and not rushing through decisions. That fits with the OHA mission nicely. I thought he was a perfect speaker for the school".

The Ontario Hockey Academy which is completing it's fourth year was recently honoured as the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce. The early success of this school can be attributed to the team work of its owners, coaches, teachers, and staff. 2011-2012 was a year of accomplishments for OHA on the ice. A few of the highlights include the Boys Gold team winning it's league and championship, and the Girls Gold team winning the McGill tournament.

Academically there were many success stories too. Commitments for OHA students in 2012-2013 include Bemidji State University, the University of Maine, Cornell University, Colgate University, Ohio State University, SUNY Potsdam, University of Montreal, McGill University, Sacred Heart and Union College. According to the Ontario Hockey Academy website, OHA students have received over a million dollars worth of NCAA scholarships. These are just some of the many success stories at this private school located here in Cornwall Ontario.