Weekly Awards announced

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward John Tavares of the London Knights is the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 8. Tavares scored six goals and four assists for 10 points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-2.

Tavares opened his week Thursday night in London against the Kitchener Rangers scoring two power play goals and adding one assist in the 7-1 win. The Rangers and Knights squared off again Friday in the rematch in Kitchener and Tavares had another three-point night with one goal and two assists in the 5-3 win. Tavares saved his best game for Sunday afternoon in Windsor against the Spitfires. He opened the scoring early in the first period with his 56th goal of the season and 213th of this career. He added an assist in the first period before scoring record breaking career goal number 214 to become the OHL’s new all-time goal scoring leader passing Peter Lee who scored 213 with the Ottawa 67’s from 1971-1976. Tavares completed his third hat-trick of the season with his 58th goal of the year and 215th of his career late in the third period to give the Knights the 4-3 win as first star of the game.

Tavares, an 18-year-old from Oakville, ON is in his fourth OHL season and currently leads the league in scoring with 58 goals and 46 assists for 104 points in 55 games. The Knights have now won seven games in a row and are second place in the Western Conference with 97 points. Tavares is eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Honourable mention this week goes to Thomas Kiriakou of the Ottawa 67’s who scored two goals and six assists for eight points in three games and was named first star of the game twice helping the 67’s win all three of their games. Brett Parnham of the Oshawa Generals was also considered after scoring five goals and two assists for seven points in three games highlighted by a five-point game as first star in a 6-2 win over the Barrie Colts Thursday where he scored his third hat-trick of the season. In goal, Jaroslav Janus of the Erie Otters went 2-1 with a shutout win and a goals-against-average of 1.32 and a save percentage of .960.

2008-09 Boston Pizza OHL Players of the Week

Mar. 9 – John Tavares, London Knights
Mar. 2 – Mark Katic, Sarnia Sting
Feb. 23 – Matt Caria, Plymouth Whalers
Feb. 16 – Jeff Skinner, Kitchener Rangers
Feb. 9 – Tyler Seguin, Plymouth Whalers
Feb. 2 – Cody Hodgson, Brampton Battalion
Jan. 26 – Thomas McCollum, Brampton Battalion
Jan. 19 – Brett Parnham, Oshawa Generals
Jan. 12 – Marcus Carroll, Owen Sound Attack
Jan. 5 – Eric O’Dell, Sudbury Wolves
Dec. 15 – Cameron Gaunce, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors
Dec. 8 – John Tavares, Oshawa Generals
Dec. 1 – John Tavares, Oshawa Generals
Nov. 24 – Eric Tangradi, Belleville Bulls
Nov. 17 – Mathew Sisca, Niagara IceDogs
Nov. 10 – Cody Hodgson, Brampton Battalion
Nov. 3 – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires
Oct. 27 – Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires
Oct. 20 – Brandon Foote, Brampton Battalion
Oct. 13 – Justin DiBenedetto, Sarnia Sting
Oct. 6 – Stefan Della Rovere, Barrie Colts
Sept. 29 – Luke Pither, Guelph Storm
Sept. 22 – Matt Lyall, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Press Release

BOUCHERVILLE, Monday, March 9, 2009 – Rimouski Océanic forward Keven Veilleux and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles goaltender Olivier Roy today were named the TELUS offensive and defensive players of the week for the period extending from March 2 to 8.

Veilleux registered three goals and six assists in three games. Moreover, he posted a +4 rating. The Océanic forward was a model of consistency, collecting three points in each contest. Unfortunately, Rimouski had their seventeen-game winning streak halted yesterday in a 5-4 loss at the hands of the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Since coming back from an injury on February 11, Veilleux has recorded 21 points in 10 games.

Mathieu Tousignant (Saguenéens), Philippe Cornet (Océanic) and Alexandre Quesnel (Olympiques) were also considered.

Goaltender Olivier Roy gets the nod on defence. In two starts, Roy helped the Screaming Eagles defeat two division rivals: Saint John and Moncton. He posted a 2.00 goals-against-average and .932 save percentage during that span. The Screaming Eagles are closing in on the Moncton Wildcats at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. They are only two points behind with two games left to play.

Kevin Marshall (Remparts), Christopher Guay (Rocket) and Alain Goulet (Olympiques) were also strong candidates.

Press Release

CALGARY, AB. - The BOSTON PIZZA WHL Player of the Week is forward Colin Long of the Kelowna Rockets.

Long picked up seven points, scoring one goal and six assists to go with a +6 rating in three games over the past week, helping the Rockets post a 3-0-0-0 record in that span.

On Wednesday, March 4th, the Rockets were at home hosting the defending Memorial Cup Champions Spokane Chiefs. Long scored one goal and added three assists as the Rockets downed the Chiefs 4-1. He was also named the games 2nd Star.

On Friday, March 6th, the Rockets began their weekend in the Fraser Valley taking on the Chilliwack Bruins. Long picked up an assist in the Rockets 3-1 win over the Bruins. The next evening, Saturday, March 7th, back in the friendly confines of Kelowna’s Prospera Place, the mighty Vancouver Giants were in town to face the Rockets. In a see-saw affair that saw the Rockets come from behind to defeat the Giants 3-2 in over-time, Long had two assists and was named the games 1st Star.

Long’s seven points over the last three games has moved him into 7th among all WHL scorers with 84 points (31 goals, 53 assists) in 64 games. The Rockets have won eight of their last nine games and have moved into 3rd place in the WHL Western Conference, surpassing the Spokane Chiefs, with 90 points and a 43-21-1-3 record.

Long, a 19-year-old from Santa Ana, California, is in his fourth year of play with the Kelowna Rockets. The Phoenix Coyotes 4th round Draft pick in 2008 has appeared in 225 WHL contests picking up 216 career points thus far (74 goals, 142 assists).

The WHL has also nominated Andrew Hayes of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the ADT CHL Goaltender of the Week Award. Hayes posted a 3-0-0-1 record this past week, stopping 99 of 104 shots faced for a 1.370 goals-against average and .952 save percentage.

Hayes, from Sherwood Park, Alberta, is playing his 18-year-old season with the Wheat Kings, his second in the WHL. He currently sits 10th among all WHL Goaltenders with a 2.88 GAA and has posted a 29-10-2-1 record thus far this season.

Boston Pizza WHL Player of the Week
Sept. 18 – Sept. 21: Jordan Weal, Regina Pats
Sept. 22 – Sept. 28: Joel Broda, Moose Jaw Warriors
Sept. 29 – Oct. 5: Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Vancouver Giants
Oct. 6 – Oct. 12: Evander Kane, Vancouver Giants
Oct. 13 – Oct. 19: Jay Fehr, Brandon Wheat Kings
Oct. 20 – Oct. 26: Jamie Benn, Kelowna Rockets
Oct. 27 – Nov. 2: Dana Tyrell, Prince George Cougars
Nov. 3 – Nov. 9: C.J. Stretch, Kamloops Blazers
Nov. 10 – Nov. 16: Andy Smith, Chilliwack Bruins
Nov. 17 – Nov. 23: Scott Glennie, Brandon Wheat Kings
Nov. 24 – Nov. 30: Taylor Procyshen, Tri-City Americans
Dec. 1 – Dec. 7: Brett Sonne, Calgary Hitmen
Dec. 8 – Dec. 14: Ian Duval, Moose Jaw Warriors
Dec. 15 – Dec. 28: Brandon Kozun, Calgary Hitmen
Dec. 29 – Jan. 4: Joel Broda, Moose Jaw Warriors
Jan. 5 – Jan. 11: Evander Kane, Vancouver Giants
Jan. 12 – Jan. 18: Brayden Schenn, Brandon Wheat Kings
Jan. 19 – Jan. 25: Keith Seabrook, Calgary Hitmen
Jan. 26 – Feb. 1: Drayson Bowman, Spokane Chiefs
Feb. 2 – Feb. 8: Matt Calvert, Brandon Wheat Kings
Feb. 9 – Feb. 15: Brandon Kozun, Calgary Hitmen
Feb. 16 – Feb. 22: Tyler Ennis, Medicine Hat Tigers
Feb. 23 – Mar. 1: Mitch Fadden, Tri-City Americans
Mar. 2 – Mar. 8: Colin Long, Kelowna Rockets

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