May 1, 2021
Prior to the introduction of CCAA All Canadian Awards, 49 players received individual recognition at the CCAA National Hockey Championships. Of the 49, four were honoured in multiple seasons.
College of Cape Breton Capers forward Ray George became the first athlete in any sport nationwide to be a two time CCAA Tournament All Star. George received the awards as a member of the 1976 bronze medalists and the 1977 fourth place finishers.
A teammate of George with the green and orange, Joe Andrea, was selected as a two time CCAA Tournament All Star at the 1976 and the 1978 CCAA National Hockey Championships. In 1978, the all conference forward raised the CCAA Championship Bowl with the Sydney, Nova Scotia based team.
Andrea and George stand alone as the only athletes from the Atlantic provinces to receive multiple individual awards in the period before CCAA All Canadian Awards. For over 35 years, Andrea was the only recipient of multiple CCAA individual awards from the Atlantic provinces to be a member of a national champion.
Along with winning back to back national championships with the Red Deer College Kings, defenseman Bill Wilkins was named a CCAA Tournament All Star in 1979 and CCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player in 1980 to complement a pair of first team all conference selections.
A forward who played with Wilkins during the 1978-79 campaign, Ron Pierce, was honoured as the CCAA Tournament MVP with the 1981 CCAA champion SAIT Trojans. The following season, the two time first team all conference selection was chosen a CCAA Tournament All Star with the fourth place Trojans.
Of the five athletes from Alberta who received CCAA individual awards in multiple seasons prior to the establishment of CCAA All Canadian Awards, only Wilkins and Pierce played on multiple CCAA champions.
Ninety nine athletes were recognized individually by the CCAA in other sports during the era. None of them received more individual awards from the CCAA at the time than the aforementioned hockey players.
A pair of men's basketball players are in the CCAA Hall of Fame. One played on two national champions and earned a CCAA individual award each season while the other picked up two CCAA individual awards in one national championship season.
Hall of fame recognition at the national level for multiple award recipients who laced up the skates during the same time frame is justified.