The awards keep piling up for University of Maine freshman left winger Justin Poirier.
In the same week he was named the Hockey East Player of the Month, he shared national Co-Forward of the Month accolades with Augustana junior left winger Brett Meerman as chosen by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
Poirier is only the third UMaine player to earn a national monthly award in 14 years.
Josh Nadeau was named Player of the Month for December, 2023 and Spencer Abbott earned a similar award in December, 2011.
Poirier had six goals and three assists in five December games with three consecutive games posting two goals and an assist. That was the first such streak in Division I hockey since October 2021 and just the fifth since the 2005-06 season.
“I know I am an offensive forward and I love shooting pucks,” Poirier told the Bangor Daily News in December. “I just play my game. I bring some pucks to the net. Sometimes they aren’t the prettiest goals but if you bring pucks to the net, you never know what can happen.”
He tied for second in the nation in points and tied for the national lead in power play goals with three. He was second in the country in shots on goal with 24.
The 5-foot-8, 185-pound native of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec native and fifth round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes (156th overall) was also plus-two in plus-minus over the five games.
Players receive a plus-one if they are on the ice when their team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and a minus-one if the opponent scores one.
Meerman also registered nine points on five goals and four assists in six games for the South Dakota-based Augustana.
Poirier has 17 goals on the season which is second best among players at the 63 Division I schools behind Michigan’s Will Horcoff, who has 19.
Poirier’s goals per game average of .81 is fifth best.
