The latest winner of the Bill Sturrup Trophy for Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year didn’t take long to respond when asked by a reporter if 2009 was the best year of his young life.

“I’d have to say so,” Ryan Ellis said.

The 19-year-old hockey defenceman from Freelton had many outstanding and memorable achievements at the national and international levels last year. He could not be in attendance to accept his award at the 25th annual CYO Celebrity Dinner last week because his Windsor Spitfires were playing the Plymouth Whalers.

Ellis’s mother, Mary Lou, accepted on his behalf.

As a member of the Spitfires, he helped that junior club win both the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League championships. In addition, he was the youngest player on the Team Canada roster that captured the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa.

And if that wasn’t enough excitement, the power-play specialist with the rocket shot got drafted in the first round of the National Hockey League draft (11th overall) by the Nashville Predators.
Ellis was a final-three nominee for the Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year honour along with Queen’s University quarterback Danny Brannagan and marathoner Reid Coolsaet.

“I know I’m up against two other good athletes who have done quite well for themselves. To win an award like this against people like that would be very special.

“It’s supporting a good cause (the dinner helps fund summer programs at Camp Brebeuf and Camp Marydale). That’s the best part.”

Brannagan, formerly of Burlington’s Assumption Secondary School, guided the Gaels to Yates Cup and Vanier Cup titles. He was named MVP of both finals. Brannagan leaves Queen’s as the second-leading passer (10,714 yards) in Canadian university history.

Coolsaet, of Hamilton, finished second at the Canadian 10k road race championships and won the Canadian marathon title. In addition, he was 25th — top Canadian — in the marathon at the World Track and Field Championships in Berlin. All that after recovering from a broken foot.

Ellis, who has excelled on the ice despite being only 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, was also in the lineup last month for Team Canada’s gold-medal world junior final in Saskatoon against the United States.