London’s Mitch Marner Named OHL’s Most Outstanding Player

On Tuesday, the Ontario Hockey League announced their 2015-16 recipient of the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s most outstanding player. With 39 goals and 77 assists, the London Knights’ Mitch Marner became the most recent winner of the prestigious OHL award.

Mitch Marner is presented with the Red Tilson Trophy.#OHL Most Outstanding Player.

WATCH: https://t.co/sprulm32qg pic.twitter.com/ihU6HZ4XRD

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) May 3, 2016

The announcement comes amidst the Knights’ road to the OHL championship following a successful season for the league’s perennial contenders. Marner finished third in OHL scoring with 116 points in 57 games and added a plus-45 rating.

It was the second time in three seasons with the Knights that Marner surpassed the 100-point plateau and he was a major part of their top line – alongside Christian Dvorak and Matthew Tkachuk.

The Red Tilson Trophy – which is voted on by league writers and broadcasters – was first awarded in 1945 in honour of the former Oshawa Generals player killed during the Second World War.

https://youtu.be/oQ3mmYzas7U

Marner becomes the sixth London Knight to win the award and the first since goaltender Michael Houser won it in 2011-12. He joins Houser, Corey Perry (2004-05), Jason Allison (1993-94), Dave Simpson (1981-82) and Dennis Maruk (1974-75) as Knights’ who’ve been awarded the Tilson Trophy.

He also becomes the first Maple Leafs draft pick to be named the OHL’s most outstanding player since Connor Brown was given the award in 2013-14. By winning the award, Marner will be nominated as one of the OHL’s candidate for the Canadian Hockey League’s Player of the Year Award.

Marner and his Knights will look to continue their successful season when they open the Rogers OHL Championship Series against the Niagara Ice Dogs on Friday in London.