BOSTON, Mass. -- New Jersey Rockets forward Michael Gillespie, a 1996 birth year player, was named the EHL Rookie of the Year today after a season in which he led a strong crop of first-year players with 14 goals, 40 assists and 54 points.  

The New City, N.Y., native, whose scoring efforts ranked him fifth in the league in assists and sixth in overall points, highlighted his season by committing to NCAA Division I Niagara University.  Gillespie finished the season with 16 multi-point games and was selected to the EHL all-star team that played the MHL Russian U20 all-star team in December.