Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Varone Player of the Week

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Phil Varone of the London Knights is the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 8. Varone led the league in scoring with seven points including one goal and six assists in three games with a league-best plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Varone’s week included his best two games of the season so far with a three-point effort Friday night and a four-point performance on Saturday. He was named second star of both games which included an 8-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack on Friday where he scored one goal and added two assists, and a 5-3 win over the Ottawa 67’s on Saturday where he recorded four assists. Varone set up the first four of the Knights’ five goals including Philip McRae’s game-winner on the power play at 12:36 of the third period. He was held scoreless in the 2-0 loss to the Brampton Battalion on Sunday afternoon.

Varone, an 18-year-old from Vaughan, ON, is playing in his fourth OHL season and third with the Knights after beginning his career with the Kitchener Rangers. He is currently tied for the team-lead in scoring with three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in 18 games. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks.

Honourable mention this week goes to Devante Smith-Pelly of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Andy Bathgate of the Belleville Bulls. Both players scored hat-tricks this week with Smith-Pelly’s three goals coming on Sunday in a 6-5 win over the Kingston Frontenacs as part of his six points in three games. Bathgate had five points in three games scoring all three goals for the Bulls in a 3-2 win over the Brampton Battalion on Saturday. In goal, 16-year-old rookie Jacob Riley recorded a shutout in just his second OHL game with the Brampton Battalion making 20 saves in a 2-0 win over the London Knights on Sunday afternoon.


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

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