Players of the Week

Sorry for the delayed postings my lab top battery died and now have to use computers at the school for the next week.

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Chris Terry of the Plymouth Whalers is the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 29. In three games, Terry scored five goals and four assists for nine points with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

Terry and the Whalers entered the week tied 1-1 with the Sarnia Sting in their first round Western Conference playoff series. Game three took place Tuesday night in Plymouth and Terry had his most productive offensive night of the week with four points including three in the first period. He set up the eventual game-winner and counted two goals in the first frame and added a third period assist as second star of the 5-1 win. Game four went Thursday night in Sarnia where Terry recorded two assists in the 5-0 Whalers win. On Saturday night the Whalers put an exclamation point on their series win with an 8-1 victory over the Sting. Terry led the way scoring a hat-trick as first star of the game. The Whalers will now face the Windsor Spitfires in the second round of the playoffs beginning Thursday night.

Terry, a 19-year-old from Brampton, ON, is in his fourth OHL season with the Whalers. He finished second in regular season league scoring with 39 goals and 55 assists for 94 points in 53 games. He has five goals and five assists for 10 points through five playoff games. Terry was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Marco Insam of the Niagara IceDogs scored four goals and three assists for seven points in three games receiving consideration for this award. Insam had two goals Saturday night including the game-winner as first star in a 4-3 win over the Ottawa 67’s to put the IceDogs ahead 3-2 in their first round playoff series. Cameron Gaunce of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors also had seven points including three goals and four assists and was named first star in the Majors series-ending triple overtime win over the Barrie Colts 4-3 on Saturday night. Gaunce had two goals and one assist in the win. Between the pipes, Matt Hackett of the Plymouth Whalers posted three wins with one shutout and a league-best goals-against-average and save percentage of 0.67 and 0.981 respectively.

Press Release

CALGARY, AB. - The BOSTON PIZZA WHL Player of the Week is forward Mitch Fadden of the Tri-City Americans.

Fadden picked up eight points, scoring two goals and six assists to go with a +5 rating in three games over the last week, helping the Tri-City Americans win their Kal-Tire 2009 WHL Western Conference Quarter-Finals best-of-seven series over the Everett Silvertips 4-1.

On Wednesday, March 25th, the Tri-City Americans’ opening round series shifted back to the Comcast Arena in Everett for games three and four versus the Silvertips, with the series tied 1-1. In game three Fadden picked up a goal and an assist as the Americans downed the ‘Tips 4-2 to jump out to a 2-1 series lead and was named the games 1st Star. In game four on Friday, March 27th, Fadden netted one goal and added two assists as the Americans took a strangle hold on the best of seven series 3-1 with their 4-1 victory. He was also named the games 2nd Star.

Game five of the opening round series was on Saturday, March 28th back at the Toyota Center in Tri-City. Fadden picked up three assists as the Tri-City Americans defeated the Everett Silvertips 6-1 and advance to the next round of the 2009 WHL Playoffs. He was also named the games 3rd Star. The Americans will now face the Kelowna Rockets in the Kal-Tire WHL Western Conference Semi-Final starting Friday.

Fadden, a 20-year-old from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, is rounding out is fifth full season of play in the WHL in a career that began back in 2003 with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round Draft pick in 2007 finished the WHL Regular Season 22nd among all WHL Scorers with 76 points (37 goals, 39 assists).

The WHL has also nominated Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans for the ADT CHL Goaltender of the Week Award. Pickard posted a 3-0-0-0 record this past week, allowing just four goal on 79 shots for a 1.330 goals-against average and .949 save percentage.

Pickard, a 19 year-old from Winnipeg, Manitoba, is playing in his fourth full season in the WHL and with the Tri-City Americans. The Nashville Predators 1st round Draft pick in 2008, finished the 2008-09 WHL regular season with 35 wins and was fifth among all WHL Goaltenders with a 2.28 GAA. Pickard was recently named a WHL Western Conference First Team All-Star and the WHL Western Conference nominee for WHL Goaltender of the Year.

BOSTON PIZZA WHL Player of the Week - 2009 WHL Playoffs
Mar. 23 – Mar. 29: Mitch Fadden, Tri-City Americans
Mar. 16 – Mar. 22: Matt Lowry, Brandon Wheat Kings

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)