Huskies’ Nikita Kucherov Named CHL Player of the Week

Press Release

 Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Nikita Kucherov of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies is the CHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending April 14 after scoring three goals and four assists for seven points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-2.

 Kucherov helped lead the Huskies to a berth in the QMJHL Semi-Finals with a 4-1 series win over the Quebec Remparts which included three straight wins last week.  With the series tied 1-1, the Huskies returned home for Game 3 on Tuesday night and grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a 5-2 win.  Kucherov picked up an assist in Game 4 on Wednesday night in the 5-4 overtime win before exploding for six points in the Game 5 series finale on Friday night claiming first star honours with a hat-trick and three assists in the 6-1 win.  The Huskies will now face the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL Semi-Finals beginning Saturday night.

Kucherov, a 19-year-old native of Russia is playing in his first QMJHL season.  A second round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft, Kucherov began this season as a member of the Remparts before joining the Huskies where he collected 53 points in just 27 games.  He is currently tied for third in QMJHL playoff scoring with 18 points in 10 games.

Also considered for the award this week was Henrik Samuelsson of the Edmonton Oil Kings who scored four goals and one assist for five points in the final two games of their second round playoff series against the Medicine Hat Tigers.  In the OHL, Mitchell Heard scored four goals and three assists for seven points in four games for the Plymouth Whalers who defeated the Owen Sound Attack in six games. 

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