Vince Leah Born in Winnipeg, "Uncle Vince" Leah was a sportswriter with both The Winnipeg Tribune

Winnipeg Tribune

The Winnipeg Tribune was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old Winnipeg Sun newspaper. It was often viewed as a liberal...

 and Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press

The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....

 for over 60 years. For more than three decades his dedication made it possible for youngsters to play hockey. Vince Leah founded the Excelsiors Hockey Club; 40 of those players went on to pro hockey. Vince Leah authored books on football and hockey including A History of Hockey in Manitoba.

The Vince Leah Trophy is an annual award given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League

Manitoba Junior Hockey League

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....

 during the regular season.
Previously, this award was the Gordon Petrie Memorial Trophy, starting in 1967.

MJHL Rookie of the Year

Season	Winner	Team
2008	Stephan Vigier	Swan Valley Stampeders Swan Valley Stampeders The Swan Valley Stampeders are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Swan River, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada.-Season-by-Season record:...
2007	Aaron Lewadniuk	Winkler Flyers Winkler Flyers The Winkler Flyers are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the Winkler Arena in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada. The Flyers entered the MJHL as an expansion team for the 1980-81 season. Famous NHL players to have played on this team include Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour...
2006	Jason Gregoire Jason Gregoire Jason Gregoire is a Canadian ice hockey left wing. Gregoire developed his skills as a youth playing for the Winnipeg Blues. He joined the Lincoln Stars in 2006 and played there for two years...	Winnipeg South Blues Winnipeg South Blues The Winnipeg Blues are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They were formerly known as the Fort Garry Blues, Winnipeg South Blues, and the Winnipeg Monarchs...
2005	Matt Ostash	Winkler Flyers Winkler Flyers The Winkler Flyers are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the Winkler Arena in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada. The Flyers entered the MJHL as an expansion team for the 1980-81 season. Famous NHL players to have played on this team include Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour...
2004	Mark Magnowski	Winnipeg Saints Winnipeg Saints The Winnipeg Saints are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the Centre. They played out of Dakota Community Centre in Winnipeg until the end of 2009-10 season. The team played out of St. Adolphe during the 2010-11 season, but played their home playoff games at the MTS Iceplex in...
2003	Andrew Jackman	Portage Terriers Portage Terriers The Portage Terriers are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada.-History:...
2002	Blaine Jarvis	Neepawa Natives Neepawa Natives The Neepawa Natives are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League , a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada.-History:...
2001	Mark Agnew	Swan Valley Stampeders Swan Valley Stampeders The Swan Valley Stampeders are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Swan River, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada.-Season-by-Season record:...
2000	D.J. Huver	St. James Canadians St. James Canadians The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
1997	Tyler Arnason Tyler Arnason Tyler Arnason is an American professional ice hockey center who is currently a Free Agent. He most recently played with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. He has previously played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and the Colorado...	Winnipeg South Blues Winnipeg South Blues The Winnipeg Blues are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They were formerly known as the Fort Garry Blues, Winnipeg South Blues, and the Winnipeg Monarchs...
1994	Cory Cyrenne Cory Cyrenne Cory Cyrenne is a former professional ice hockey player. He was named the Canadian Junior A Hockey Player of the Year in 1995 and received a hockey scholarship to Colorado College. He was also named the CHL's Sportsmanlike player of the year in 1998.Cyrenne was at times a controversial player...	St. Boniface Saints Winnipeg Saints The Winnipeg Saints are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the Centre. They played out of Dakota Community Centre in Winnipeg until the end of 2009-10 season. The team played out of St. Adolphe during the 2010-11 season, but played their home playoff games at the MTS Iceplex in...
1977	Bruno Rogger	Brandon Travellers Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
1976	Anthony Gurniak	West Kildonan North Stars Kildonan North Stars The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:During the summer of 1967, community-minded sports group purchased the Winnipeg Warriors from Ben Hatskin, renaming them the West Kildonan North Stars...
1975	Ken Krentz	Selkirk Steelers Selkirk Steelers For the American football team, see Pittsburgh Steelers. For other uses, see Steelers .The Selkirk Steelers are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada...
1972	Calvin Kitching	St. James Canadians St. James Canadians The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
1971	Bill Kriski	St. Boniface Saints Winnipeg Saints The Winnipeg Saints are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the Centre. They played out of Dakota Community Centre in Winnipeg until the end of 2009-10 season. The team played out of St. Adolphe during the 2010-11 season, but played their home playoff games at the MTS Iceplex in...
1970	Frank Turnbull	Winnipeg Monarchs
1969	Jim Cahoon	Dauphin Kings Dauphin Kings The Dauphin Kings are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League , a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada...
1968	Wayne Chernecki Wayne Chernecki Wayne Chernecki is an American ice hockey player who was drafted to play for the Detroit Red Wings in the 4th round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft....	West Kildonan North Stars Kildonan North Stars The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:During the summer of 1967, community-minded sports group purchased the Winnipeg Warriors from Ben Hatskin, renaming them the West Kildonan North Stars...
1967	Bobby Clarke Bobby Clarke Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...	Flin Flon Bombers Flin Flon Bombers The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team and current member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and are based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The team moved and became the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1978, but the Flin Flon Bomber name was retained...
1966	Chuck Lefley Chuck Lefley Charles Thomas Lefley is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Lefley started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1971. Lefley would also play for the St. Louis Blues and would retire after the 1981 season...	Winnipeg Rangers Winnipeg Rangers The Winnipeg Rangers were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Rangers won 4 Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior Champions, 1941, 1943, 1961, and 1966....
1965	Bill Ramsay	Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs The Winnipeg Monarchs were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1967 to 1977 under three names. The team played as the Winnipeg Jets from 1967 to 1973; the Winnipeg Clubs from 1973 to 1976, and the Winnipeg Monarchs from 1976 to 1977. The Monarchs franchise...
1963	Ken Kachulak	Brandon Wheat Kings Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
1960	George Hill	Brandon Wheat Kings Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...