2025-26 Jim Veltman Award: 21U Rock Elite League MVP Finalists

TRAC Athletics is proud to announce the twelve 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), Marcelo Carreiro (Mount St. Mary’s University) and Matthew Ford (University of Richmond).

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.

Ford, who last year’s Veltman Award winner, is once again up for the honour a season later. Below, see who joins Ford as this year’s MVP finalists, all ten 21U REL year-end awards, and a full recap of past award winners & finalists. This year’s winners will be announced on TRAC Athletics social media (@TRACAthletics) in the weeks following the conclusion of the 2026 playoffs.

BUILT FORD TOUGH #beelite pic.twitter.com/mTy8xvuaAL

— TRAC Athletics (@TRACAthletics) March 21, 2025

21U REL Jim Veltman Award Finalists

*Matthew Ford (Milton), Team Red
Wesley Grant (Port Elgin), Team Black
Jackson McGarr (Guelph), Team Gold
*Evan Miller (Orangeville), Team White
Dylan Price (Virgil), Team Carolina
Tyson Rahn (East Garafraxa), Team Red
Nolan Sanderson (Orangeville), Team White
*Cannon Schmidt (Guelph), Team Gold
MJ Schwager (LaSalle), Team Royal
Finley Topping (London), Team Black
*Owen Tovell (Fergus), Team Carolina
Stephen West (Brampton), Team Royal

*Second 21U REL career MVP nomination

A season so nice he’s been named MVP twice!

Congratulations to Matthew Ford for being selected as this year’s 21U Rock Elite League Jim Veltman Award & Dan Stroup Award winner.

See all of this year’s REL year-end award winners: https://t.co/7T74v2a3hs pic.twitter.com/UhOdvEQwsv

— TRAC Athletics (@TRACAthletics) March 21, 2025

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)

2024-25: Matthew Ford, Team Red
2023-24: Marcelo Carreiro, Team White
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will Sheehan, Team Manns

Bob Watson Award (Goalie Team of the Year)

2024-25: Cole Downey & Jesse Morrison, Team White
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)

2024-25: Bishop Burman, Team White
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)

2024-25: Carter Coffey, Team Gold
2023-24: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2022-23: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2021-22: Isaac Wills, Team Jay

Sandy Chapman Award (Heart & Hustle)

2024-25: Bennett Driscoll, Team Red & Owen Tovell, Team Gold (tied)
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)

2024-25: Matthew Ford, Team Red
2023-24: Marcelo Carreiro, Team White
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

Josh Sanderson Award (Assists Leader)

2024-25: Max Kruger, Team White
2023-24: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2022-23: Thomas Bagnall, Team Carolina
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

Blaine Manning Award (Goals Leader)

2024-25: Matthew Ford, Team Red
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)

2024-25: Challen Rogers & Jordan McKenna, Team Red
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)

2024-25: Matthew Ford, Team Red
2023-24: Hunter Roy, Team Silver
2022-23: Liam Matthews, Team Silver
2021-22: Will MacLeod, Team Kri

The Bob Watson Award is be presented to the goalie tandem/team deemed to be the season’s best.

The Sandy Chapman Award is presented to the player(s) 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 Award Finalist History

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

2025-26

Matthew Ford, Team Red
Wesley Grant, Team Black
Jackson McGarr, Team Gold
Evan Miller, Team White
Dylan Price, Team Carolina
Tyson Rahn, Team Red
Nolan Sanderson, Team White
Cannon Schmidt, Team Gold
MJ Schwager, Team Royal
Finley Topping, Team Black
Owen Tovell, Team Carolina
Stephen West, Team Royal