2024-25 Jim Veltman Award: 21U Rock Elite League MVP Finalists

TRAC Athletics is proud to announce the 20 finalists for this year’s 21U Rock Elite League Jim Veltman Award, which recognizes the MVP of the Junior-aged league.

Previous Veltman Award winners include: Will Sheehan (Yale University), Liam Matthews (Penn State University) and Marcelo Carreiro (Mount St. Mary’s University).

The award is one of several year-end accolades named in honour of Toronto Rock legends who excelled in their position of play and represented the team with pride during their elite National Lacrosse League careers.

In addition to being named last year’s Veltman Award winner, Carreiro also won the Colin Doyle Award (Scoring Champion) and Blaine Manning Award (Goals Leader).

Below, see the 20 names nominated for the 2024-25 Jim Veltman Award, all ten 21U REL year-end awards, plus a recap of past award winners. This season’s winners will be announced on TRAC Athletics social media (@TRACAthletics) in the weeks following the conclusion of the 2025 playoffs.

The 21U 2025 REL Playoffs begin on Monday, February 17 with the quarter-finals round: #3 Team Gold vs. #6 Team Black and #4 Team Blue vs. #5 Team Carolina (8:30pm ET, TRAC). Both Team Red and Team White finished the season with 10-2 records, receiving byes after finishing tied at the top of the standings. The 21U semifinals take place on Monday, February 24 and REL Cup Finals on Monday, March 3. Click here to view the 21U REL schedule, scores, standings and individual player stats. U9-U17 REL MVP Finalists will be announced soon. The U17 playoffs begin Monday, February 17. All other divisions’ playoffs start Sunday, February 23.

21U REL Jim Veltman Award Finalists

Zachariah Abu-Ali (Mississauga), Team Carolina
Cooper Campbell-Burman (Caledon), Team White
Carter Coffey (Arthur), Team Gold
Bennett Driscoll (Toronto), Team Red
Matthew Ford (Milton), Team Red
Ryan Gonsalvez (Toronto), Team Black
*Ty Jesso (Georgetown), Team Blue
Max Kruger (Mono), Team White
Cody MacNeil (St. Catharines), Team Black
Caiden Merritt (Acton), Team Blue
Evan McDougall (Arthur), Team Gold
Evan Miller (Orangeville), Team White
Finn Morgan (Oakville), Team Blue
Myles Playter (Owen Sound), Team Blue
Nate Renaud (Fergus), Team Gold
Charlie Salter (Scarborough), Team Black
Cannon Schmidt (Guelph), Team Carolina
**Jameson Steele (Mississauga), Team Red
Owen Tovell (Fergus), Team Gold
Andrew Wilson (Orangeville), Team Carolina

*Third 21U REL career MVP nomination
**Second 21U REL career MVP nomination

The 21U REL Jim Veltman Award is presented to the season’s MVP.

After leading the league in goals & points and registering one of the all-time great REL offensive seasons, Team White’s Marcelo Carreiro has been named this year’s Veltman Award winner.https://t.co/7RHnK4OGwE pic.twitter.com/yp8GBz9oqZ

— TRAC Athletics (@TRACAthletics) March 25, 2024

21U Rock Elite League Awards

Most Valuable Player: Jim Veltman Award
Goalie Team of the Year: Bob Watson Award
Defensive Player of the Year: Pat Coyle Award
Transition Player of the Year: Steve Toll Award
Scoring Champion (Points Leader): Colin Doyle Award
Assists Leader: Josh Sanderson Award
Goals Leader: Blaine Manning Award
Heart & Hustle: Sandy Chapman Award*
Coaching Staff of the Year: Terry Sanderson Award
Post-Season MVP: Dan Stroup Award

*The Sandy Chapman Award will be presented to the player that best exemplified the same drive, determination, heart and hustle that Rock defensive legend Sandy Chapman played with during his entire NLL career.

🐐 Jim Veltman with 21U REL Jim Veltman Award (MVP) winner Will Sheehan at the Rob MacDougall Memorial Day & Celebrity Classic held at the TRAC this past Saturday.

Sheehan, who is scoring up a storm for the 1st place Oakville Buzz, will join @YaleLacrosse this fall.#BeElite pic.twitter.com/Ylfkg4UPIY

— TRAC Athletics (@TRACAthletics) June 20, 2022

21U Rock Elite League Year-End Awards

Jim Veltman Award (MVP)

2023-24: Marcelo Carreiro, Team White
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will Sheehan, Team Kri

Bob Watson Award (Goalie Team of the Year)

2023-24: Ethan Robertson & Lucas Johnston, Team Black
2022-23: Oliver Vanyo & Kieran Datars, Team Red
2021-22: Kaleb Martin & Evan Constantopoulos, Team Kri

Pat Coyle Award (Defensive Player of the Year)

2023-24: Ethan Fisher, Team Red
2022-23: Ethan Fisher, Team Red & Hayden Hiltz, Team Blue (tied)
2021-22: Ben Wittich, Team Kri

Steve Toll Award: (Transition Player of the Year)

2023-24: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2022-23: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2021-22: Isaac Wills, Team Jay

Sandy Chapman Award (Heart & Hustle)

2023-24: Hunter Roy, Team Silver
2022-23: Kyle Sterritt, Team Carolina
2021-22: Ty Jesso, Team Kri & Chris Rathwell, Team Rogers (tied)

Colin Doyle Award (Scoring Champion)

2023-24: Marcelo Carreiro, Team White
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

Josh Sanderson Award (Assists Leader)

2023-24: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2022-23: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

Blaine Manning Award (Goals Leader)

2023-24: Marcelo Carreiro, Team White
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

Terry Sanderson Award (Coaching Staff of the Year)

2023-24: Adam Jay & Riley Hutchcraft, Team Carolina
2022-23: Challen Rogers & DJ Clevely, Team Red
2021-22: Adam Jay & Riley Hutchcraft, Team Jay

Dan Stroup Award (Postseason MVP)

2023-24: Hunter Roy, Team Silver
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

Jim Veltman Award Finalists

2021-22

Sheldon Broughton, Team Manns
Elijah Edwards, Team Manns
Ty Jesso, Team Kri
Marcus, Keleher, Team Manns
Riley Knox, Team Rogers
Justin Lee, Team Jay
William MacLeod, Team Kri
Kaleb Martin, Team Kri
Connor Pearce, Team Jay
Chris Rathwell, Team Rogers
Ethan Stainton, Team Rogers
Will Sheehan, Team Manns
Jaden Simick, Team Jay
Kyle Sterritt, Team Jay
Aaron Toguri, Team Rogers
Oliver Vanyo, Team Rogers
Nicholas Volkov, Team Manns
Isaac Wills, Team Jay
Ben Wittich, Team Kri
Jake Wright, Team Kri

2022-23

Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
Ryan Barker, Team Blue
Marcelo Carreiro, Team Silver
Noah Cupples, Team Black
Riley Ford, Team Carolina
Dylan Goddard, Team White
Jacob Janke, Team White
Ty Jesso, Team White
Cohen Jennings, Team Silver
Enrico Lombardo, Team Red
Nolan Marshall, Team Blue
Liam Matthews, Team Silver
Carter Moran, Team Black
Owen Orpana, Team White
Owen Rahn, Team Silver
Chris Rathwell, Team Red
Jameson Steele, Team Carolina
Oliver Vanyo, Team Red
Treyton Weinstein, Team Black
Walker Zabransky, Team Blue

2023-24

Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
Nolan Barker, Team Red
Marcelo Carreiro, Team White
Noah Cupples, Team Blue
Ethan Fisher, Team Red
Riley Ford, Team Carolina
Brayden Mitchell, Team Black
Owen Rahn, Team White
Hunter Roy, Team Silver
Connor Waller, Team Blue
Curtis Ward, Team Black
Callum Witter, Team Silver

2024-25

Zachariah Abu-Ali, Team Carolina
Cooper Campbell-Burman, Team White
Carter Coffey, Team Gold
Bennett Driscoll, Team Red
Matthew Ford, Team Red
Ryan Gonsalvez, Team Black
Ty Jesso, Team Blue
Max Kruger, Team White
Cody MacNeil, Team Black
Caiden Merritt, Team Blue
Evan McDougall, Team Gold
Evan Miller, Team White
Finn Morgan, Team Blue
Myles Playter, Team Blue
Nate Renaud, Team Gold
Charlie Salter, Team Black
Cannon Schmidt, Team Carolina
Jameson Steele, Team Red
Owen Tovell, Team Gold
Andrew Wilson, Team Carolina