Luchuk and Lamb lead CHL’s best
Colts’ Aaron Luchuk named CHL Player of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Ottawa Senators prospect Aaron Luchuk of the Barrie Colts is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 18 after recording nine points in three games including three goals and six assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Luchuk produced three straight multi-point performances last week that led the Colts to three straight victories officially securing a playoff berth and maintaining their lead atop the OHL’s Central Division standings with a current record of 34-20-2-1. He earned back-to-back first star honours on the road including Wednesday against the Flint Firebirds with a goal and two assists in an 8-5 Valentine’s Day victory, and Thursday in his return to Windsor facing his former Spitfires where he scored the overtime winner and added three assists in a 5-4 triumph. His week wrapped up Saturday scoring a goal and an assist claiming third star honours in a 3-1 win over the Niagara IceDogs. Luchuk is the first two-time recipient of the award this season earning the honour with both the Spitfires and the Colts.
A 20-year-old from Kingston, Ont., Luchuk is playing in his fourth full OHL season after being chosen in the fourth round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection by the Spitfires. He played 236 career games in Windsor and scored the game-winning goal in the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup before joining the Colts in December. Luchuk leads the OHL in scoring with 95 points in 57 games including a league-high 43 goals and is currently riding a 15-game point-streak. He was signed by the Senators to an entry-level contract as a free agent in December.
Also considered for the award this week was Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Vitalii Abramov of the Victoriaville Tigres who scored six goals and three assists for nine points in four games, and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Jordy Bellerive of the Lethbridge Hurricanes who scored five goals and five assists for 10 points in five games.
2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Aaron Luchuk (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Ty Ronning (Vancouver Giants)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Peter Abbandonato (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ivan Kosorenkov (Victoriaville Tigres)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Alex Barré-Boulet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Aleksi Heponiemi (Swift Current Broncos)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Drake Batherson (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Tyler Soy (Victoria Royals)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Tyler Steenbergen (Swift Current Broncos)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets)
Rebels’ Riley Lamb named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Riley Lamb of the Red Deer Rebels is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending February 18 after posting a 4-0-0-0 record including one shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .957.
Lamb turned aside an impressive 133 shots last week backstopping the red hot Rebels to four straight road victories. He began the week by recording his first shutout of the season last Monday on British Columbia’s Family Day with a 25-save performance against the Prince George Cougars earning second star honours in the 4-0 win. His strong holiday play continued on Valentine’s Day with a first star performance on Wednesday in Kelowna making 36 saves in a 4-1 win over the Rockets. Continuing the west coast road trip into the weekend, Lamb made 33 saves and was named second star of a 4-3 victory over the Victoria Royals on Friday, then wrapped up his week with 39 saves in a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Giants on Sunday. The Rebels have now won eight of their last 10 games and are third in the WHL’s Central Division with a record of 21-26-10-3.
A 19-year-old from Rivers, MB, Lamb is playing in his second WHL season with the Rebels and carries an 8-9-3-2 record including seven straight wins in 24 appearances this season. His goals-against-average of 3.24 and save percentage of .905 are improved marks over his 2016-17 figures of 3.39 and .899 across 41 games.
Also considered for the award this week was Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who posted a 2-0-0-0 record with one shutout making 44 saves overall for a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .978. In the QMJHL, Samuel Harvey of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies posted a 1-1-0-0 record with one shutout stopping 55 shots for a goals-against-average of 1.01 and save percentage of .965.
2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Riley Lamb (Red Deer Rebels)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: Brody Willms (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Zachary Bouthillier (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Mario Culina (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Stuart Skinner (Swift Current Broncos)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: James Porter (Kelowna Rockets)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Tristan Bérubé (Gatineau Olympiques)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Anthony Morrone (Victoriaville Tigres)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Dustin Wolf (Everett Silvertips)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranada Huskies)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Logan Flodell (Swift Current Broncos)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Dereck Baribeau (Quebec Remparts)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
OHL Writers 