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The Toronto Maple Leafs "stumbled on" Connor Brown a few years ago and are pleased with their discovery. The Erie Otters captain was named the Ontario Hockey Leagues most outstanding player for 2013-14 on Tuesday. Brown led the league in scoring and set a franchise record with 45 goals and 83 assists in 68 games. Chosen near the bottom of both his OHL and NHL drafts, the 20-year-old Toronto forward has played himself into a strong pro prospect. He was the 251st pick out of 301 players four years ago in the OHL draft. The Leafs chose him in the sixth round, 156th overall, in 2012. His buddy Matt Finn, captain of the Guelph Storm and a fellow Leafs prospect, recently said "With Connor, its always been about proving people wrong." But Brown says his motivation is more about the pursuit of his dream than spite. "I definitely dont think much has come easy, being late picks in both drafts," he acknowledged during a conference call. "Its just more incentive to work hard. "I think I wanted to work hard not to prove people wrong, but I know I needed to work harder to have a shot at signing an NHL contract and having a shot at making the NHL one day." Brown has signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Leafs. He caught their eye in 2011 when scouts went to Erie, Pa., to evaluate Leafs prospect Sondre Olden. "Each time we went down to watch this Maple Leaf pick, wed stumble on Connor Brown," Leafs director of player Jim Hughes said. "Erie was having a difficult year and the scores, the deficits, never changed Connors desire, never changed his moods during the course of the game. "He was always focused and it didnt matter if he was winning 5-1 or losing 5-1, his personality never changed. He always played for the love of the game. He always played with passion. We obviously have big plans for Connor moving forward." Brown led Erie to the best season in its 18-year history with 52 wins and 106 points. The Otters lost this years Western Conference final to Guelph in five games. Brown had eight goals and 10 assists in 14 playoff games. The five-foot-11 170-pound right-winger is currently practising with Torontos American Hockey League team -- the Marlies -- at the MasterCard Centre. He intends to spend most of the summer there building strength and working on his skating skills with former Canadian pairs figure skater Barb Underhill. Hughes says Brown needs time to develop "man-strength." "Come September, I think my game and my physical state, I think Ill be ready to play with better and stronger players," Brown said. Brown is the first Otter to win the OHL scoring title and the second to earn the Red Tilson Trophy as league MVP after Brad Boyes in both 2001 and 2002. The trophy is named in honour of Albert (Red) Tilson, who was a former Oshawa General killed in action during the Second World War. Brown led the league in power-play points with 54 and carried a plus-minus of plus-44 through the regular season. In a poll of Western Conference coaches, he was voted the best in a shootout, second in penalty killing and third in the smartest player category. "Whoever is preparing to play hockey anywhere, will not outwork Connor Brown and his will to prepare," Otters general manager Sherry Bassin said. "Whatever work ethic is necessary, whatever that measurement is, hell do more." Media members vote on the award and Brown was the clear winner with 321 points tabulated from 80 ballots. Oshawa Generals centre Scott Laughton was the runner-up with 120 points and top NHL draft prospect Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs was third with 68. Previous winners include New York Islanders forward John Tavares (Oshawa, 2007), Nashville Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis (Windsor, 2011) and Florida Panthers defenceman Brian Campbell (Ottawa, 1999). Vincent Trochek, the centre who won the award last year with the Plymouth Whalers, split this past season between the Panthers and their AHL team in San Antonio, Texas. Brown is the OHLs candidate for the Canadian Hockey Leagues player of the year. Hell be up against Sam Reinhart of the Western Hockey Leagues Kootenay Ice and Anthony Mantha of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues Val-dOr Foreurs. The winner will be announced May 24 during the MasterCard Memorial Cup in London, Ont. Butch Goring Jersey .C. -- Only two Syracuse teams have won their first 20 games, and C. Los Angeles Kings Jerseys . Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" 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Kelly Hrudey Jersey . - Robert Griffin III has a sprained throwing shoulder that limited him in practice Wednesday as the Washington Redskins prepared for their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.The post-round handshakes after a practice round at the PGA Championship were replaced by fist bumps and someone suggested that those in the scrum with Canadas best golfer should don surgical masks before chatting. Clearly, whatever Graham DeLaet had, nobody wants to catch. On Saturday night, after struggling through a difficult round at the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational, he went home and started to get sick. "It was pretty bad," said DeLaet, recounting the past 60 hours. "On Sunday, I literally didnt get out of bed all day. . . except to go to the bathroom." For the first time in his professional career he was forced to withdraw mid-tournament. But clearly he wasnt in any shape to tee it up. He was so dehydrated that he needed two IV bags to replenish the fluids. He figures he lost 10 pounds as there was plenty more going out than going in. While he was well enough to play nine holes at Valhalla on Tuesday – and that might be debatable considering the rumpled, fatigued figure that was trudging over the fairways -- he was considering more IVs after he played. "Im a little tired, a little weak," DeLaet said. "Im feeling better physically but its just kind of taken its toll on me a little bit. But I should be ready to go physically, especially with a late tee time Thursday." The illness that felled DeLaet came at an awkward tiime.dddddddddddd After a mid-season slow patch in his play, he seemed to find his game at the RBC Canadian Open, tying the course record at Royal Montreal on Friday. He also played well through the first two rounds in Akron. Now hell be playing Valhalla and a major championship with very little groundwork "The preparation will be a little bit different," he said. "Nine holes [Tuesday] and nine holes [Wednesday]. The main thing is just to try and be as physically ready as I can. Theres no real expectations and that might be a good thing." Indeed it could. At the start of this season, DeLaet admitted that last year he built up the majors too much, putting some roadblocks in his own way. That wont be the case here. He will rely heavily on the work of caddie Julien Trudeau who has been on several scouting missions around the course to pick out lines for tee shots and try to grab the nuances of the greens. Going in almost blind wont be entirely new for DeLaet. Hes zipped around courses sight unseen and had some success in the past. "I remember when Ive gone and played Monday qualifiers, playing a course almost blind and end up shooting six or seven under so hopefully thats the case. Were going to do all we can to be ready but the main thing is to try and be healthy by Thursday." Exactly because its unlikely theyll allow him to play with the IV in his arm. ' ' '