CHL Awards

CHL Press Release

TORONTO, Wednesday, October 8, 2008 – The Canadian Hockey League today announced its most recent CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top 10 rankings for the 2008-09 season. Four Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams managed to crack the upper echelon of the CHL: The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, the Moncton Wildcats, the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Quebec Remparts.

The weekly rankings of the Canadian Hockey League's top 10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top 10

1. Windsor Spitfires (6-1-0-0)
2. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (8-1-0-0)
3. Moncton Wildcats (7-0-1-0)
4. Swift Current Broncos (6-1-0-0)
5. Vancouver Giants (6-0-0-1)
6. Belleville Bulls (5-1-0-0)
7. Drummondville Voltigeurs (7-1-0-1)
8. Quebec Remparts (7-1-0-0)
9. Guelph Storm (5-2-0-0)
10. Spokane Chiefs (4-1-0-2)

Boston Pizza CHL Player of the Week

The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Stefan Della Rovere of the Barrie Colts is the Boston Pizza CHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 5. In his two games last week he scored four goals and three assists for seven points finishing the week with a plus-2 plus-minus rating.

Della Rovere produced a goal and an assist in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Thursday night in Barrie. On Saturday he put together a five point night including his first OHL career hat-trick in a big 7-2 upset win over the top ranked Windsor Spitfires earning first star of the game honours.

Della Rovere, an 18-year-old from Maple, ON is in his third OHL season with the Colts. Prior to this season, Della Rovere was named team captain of the Barrie Colts. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.

Angelo Esposito of the Montreal Juniors scored two goals and five assists in his first two games of the season and represents the QMJHL nominee for this award. Esposito set a Juniors franchise record with six points in an 8-4 win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday. The WHL nominee was Casey Pierro-Zabotel of the Vancouver Giants. His two goals and five assists for seven points in two games helped the Giants stay unbeaten in regulation play improving to 6-0-0-1 on the season.

ADT CHL Goaltender of the Week

The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Olivier Roy of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles is the ADT CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending October 5.

Roy, a 17-year-old from Amqui, QC, backstopped the Screaming Eagles to two wins over the Lewiston MAINEiacs posting a goals-against-average of 1.00 and a .961 save percentage. On Friday night, his 22 saves led to a 5-0 shutout win and third star of the game recognition. In the Saturday rematch, Roy kicked aside 27 shots to beat the MAINEiacs 6-2. Roy has not lost a game in his seven starts this season. In the 2007-08 season, Roy was the RDS Cup recipient as the QMJHL Rookie of the year. He is eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

The WHL nominee was Dustin Tokarski of the Spokane Chiefs after posting a 2-0-0-1 record including a 5-0 shutout win Friday night against the Everett Silvertips making 30 saves. Matt Hache of the Sarnia Sting was the OHL nominee for the award. The 20-year-old Hache made 32 saves Friday night in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sudbury Wolves before stopping all 38 shots Saturday in a 3-0 home win over the Brampton Battalion for his first OHL career shutout.

That's My Take

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