SMITH NAMED DENNY'S WHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Press Release

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Kamloops Blazers’ forward Colin Smith is the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week, for the second time this season.   

Smith collected seven points, scoring one goal and six assists to go with a +5 rating, in two games over the past week helping the Blazers to a 2-0-0-0 record.   

On Friday, November 16, the Blazers played host to their Western Conference rivals the Portland Winterhawks.  Smith gathered, one goal, four assists and was named the game’s 1^st Star in the Blazers 6-4 win over the ‘Hawks.  The next night, Saturday, November 17, the Blazers welcomed the Prince George Cougars to the Interior Savings Centre.  Smith picked up two assists in the Blazers 5-4 shoot-out victory over the Cougars.

Smith currently sits 2^nd among all WHL Scorers with 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in 25 games played thus far this season.  The Blazers currently sit first in the WHL B.C. Division and Western Conference with a 19-5-0-1 record for 39 points.

A 19-year-old from Edmonton, AB, Smith is in his fourth full season with the Kamloops Blazers.  The Blazers selected Smith in the 1^st round – 7^th overall in the 2008 WHL Draft and was recently a 7^th round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.  Smith, along with teammate JC Lipon, recently competed with Team WHL against the Russian National Junior team in the 2012 Subway Super Series in Victoria this past week.

The WHL has also nominated Mackenzie Skapski of the Kootenay Ice for the CHL Goaltender of the Week Award.  Skapskiposted a 3-0-0-0 record this past week with two shut-outs, stopping 80 of 83 shots faced for a 0.964 save-percentage and 1.00 goals-against average.  Skapski, an 18-year-old from Abbotsford, BC, helped lead the Ice to a shut-out victory over the Calgary Hitmen, then a pair of wins over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)