Michael Pontarelli led the CCHL in scoring last season with 52 goals and 55 assists as a 19 year old. He was a unanimous choice for CCHL MVP and the CCHL Sportsmanship and Ability Award. He was also named the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s first MVP.
Not a bad season for any player.
Michael Pontarelli had been committed to the Dutchmen for the 2014-15 season. But sometimes things change, and the hockey gods make new plans for players.
Pontarelli was drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in this springs USHL draft. By all accounts he had a great camp in Muskegon, so when he tweeted that he had decided to return to Cornwall, many in the hockey community were shocked. Pontarelli was thought to be able to break RPI’s Jacob Laliberte’s scoring record of 133 points in a season this year.
Muskegon and Cornwalls loss is Unions gain.
Pontarelli could have returned to the CCHL’s Cornwall Colts this season, but when Union center Josh Jooris announced two weeks ago that he giving up his senior season to sign with the Calgary Flames, Union knew that Pontarelli was needed this season.
Before playing at Cornwall, Pontarelli spent two seasons at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass. In 53 career games, he had 83 goals and 44 assists.
