Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 7 with seven goals and three assists for 10 points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Tippett welcomed 2018 with three multi-point performances leading the Steelheads to three straight victories to start the new year improving their Central Division record to 17-22-0-1. He earned first star honours in all three games last week beginning Wednesday night with two goals and one assist in a 5-3 road win over the Erie Otters. Back at home Thursday facing top ranked Sault Ste. Marie, Tippett scored a natural hat-trick in the first period, the first of his career, then tallied a shootout marker to secure a 4-3 win snapping the Greyhounds 23-game win-streak. His week wrapped up Friday in Kitchener scoring two goals and two assists for his first four-point effort of the season to extend his personal point-streak to seven games in a 6-2 triumph over the Rangers.
An 18-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., Tippett is playing in his third season with the Steelheads who chose him fourth overall in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. After beginning the season in the NHL with one goal in seven games, Tippett has scored 17 goals with 19 assists for 36 points in 23 OHL games since November 10. Last season Tippett set a Steelheads record with 44 goals as part of a 75-point campaign and would become the top OHL player chosen in the 2017 NHL Draft going tenth overall to the Panthers.
Watch video highlights of Tippett and the Steelheads against the Otters and Rangers.
Also considered for the award this week was Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Sam Miletic of the London Knights producing 10 points in four games including four goals and six assists, and Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson of the Kingston Frontenacs with nine points in three games including three goals and six assists. In goal, Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds posted a 2-0-0-1 record making 73 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .936.
2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
OHL Writers 