The John Carlton Memorial Trophies are given annually by the Boston Bruins to the outstanding female and male student athletes in Massachusetts high school or junior hockey. The Trophies are awarded to high school students who excel in both hockey and academics. The award is in honor of the late Bruins scout and administrator John Carlton, who passed away in December of 1982 after a long and dedicated tenure in hockey at all levels of the game.
O'Connell is the 23rd female student to receive the award, and Copponi is the 39th male recipient. Both students were named captains of their respective teams.
O'Connell finished her career at Algonquin a two-time Captain with 97 goals and 32 assists for 129 points, breaking her program's All-Time Goal Scoring record and earning the highest point-per-game average in program history. In addition to her hockey career, O'Connell is a four-year varsity member of both the Algonquin field hockey and lacrosse teams and was elected captain for both during her senior season. She plans to continue her hockey career at Sacred Heart University in the fall.
Copponi split his first two seasons of high school playing for the Neponset Valley River Rats and Mansfield High School. The forward transferred to Dexter Southfield his junior year, where he had career-high season totals of 20 goals and 42 points. After spending his senior season as captain for Dexter Southfield, Copponi plans to attend Merrimack College and pursue a degree in Business while continuing his hockey career.
In addition, the Boston Bruins and Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association have announced the 2021 Boston Bruins-MIAA Sportsmanship Award winners. These athletes have been selected for exemplifying commitment to sportsmanship, teamwork, and dedication, both on and off the ice.
AJ Quetta of Bishop Feehan High School has been named the honorary captain of the 2021 Boston Bruins-MIAA Sportsmanship Award.
The following are the award winners from each hockey league statewide:
Girls League
Catholic Central League: Melanie McClay, Archbishop Williams High School
Hockomock League: Norah Brown, Canton High School
Merrimack Valley Conference: Jodi Mercier, Central Catholic High School
Middlesex League: Makayla Doherty, Arlington High School
Patriot League - Fisher: Allie Woods, Pembroke High School
Patriot League - Keenan: Mae Pittenger, Duxbury High School
Boys League
Bay State Conference: Jacob Gurdin, Brookline High School
Berry Division: Jack Guindon, West Springfield High School
Boston City League: James Dillon, Boston Latin Academy
Catholic Central League - Large: AJ Quetta, Bishop Feehan High School
Catholic Central League - Large: Nick Recupero, Archbishop Williams High School
Catholic Central League - Small: Stephen Nardelli, Cardinal Spellman High School
Catholic Conference: William MacNeil, Catholic Memorial School
Fay Division: Spencer Gorcyca, Chicopee High School
Greater Boston League: Nick Summers, Malden High School
Independent Schools: Ryan Spano, Brockton High School
Merrimack Valley Conference: Ethan Chan-Polcari, Lowell High School
Merrimack Valley Conference: Brian Workman, Dracut High School
Middlesex League: Brendan Fennell, Melrose High School
Patriot League - Fisher: Jake Roth, Plymouth South High School
Patriot League - Keenan: Bobby Bekerian, Marshfield High School
South Shore League: Brendan Bartucca, Norwood High School
Wright Division: Derek Lenois, Greenfield High School
