Former Grads standout cracks NCAA top 10

Simon Lambert, a previous standout forward for the Navan-based Central Junior ‘A’ Hockey League club, was named a finalist for the prestigious honour last month after recording a stellar season in his senior year at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The 24-year-old led the Atlantic Hockey Association in scoring with 50 points and 21 goals, also good for third in country-wide NCAA scoring.

“He was an outstanding person and player for us, and he was a great representative of our program and our school,” said RIT men’s hockey coach Wayne Wilson, of the Ste. Therese, Que. native. Lambert played four seasons for the Grads, garnering 62 points and 23 goals in his final year.

Despite not making the recent top-three selection, otherwise known as the “Hobey hat trick”, for the award – players from Boston College, Miami University and Michigan received that honour – Lambert set RIT’s all-time Division I leading scoring record with 152 points in 125 games.

“I’d characterize him as a real hard worker, very quick,” said Wilson, a former Bowling Green coach who tutored the likes of current and former NHLers Brian Holzinger, Rob Blake and Nelson Emerson. He added, however, one area the forward could stand to improve is overall strength. “But he’s a very smart player, so I think he can play at any level.”

Lambert, who last month signed a pro contract with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the East Coast Hockey League, skated for the Grads from 2000 to 2004. In 49 games in his final year for the Grads he counted 62 points (23g-39a).

Not only handy with a composite stick, the civil engineering major graduated one semester early after garnering a 3.48 cumulative grade-point average at RIT.

“He’s kind of a coaches’ dream when you talk about student athletes,” said Wilson, adding that of 26 roster players on his club last season, 17 were Canadian.

“Simon has been an explosive player capable of scoring on every shift for us this year,” Wilson added. “We relied upon him in every situation, from the power-play to penalty killing to being on the ice in the last minute of a one-goal game, up or down.

“Every team we played against was aware of Simon’s presence. Simon was a great leader by example for us and was a very hard worker, durable and a reliable scorer.”

The Hobey Baker awards banquet is May 2 in St. Paul, Minnesota.