WHL’s Eastern Conference Playoffs produce Top Performers
Hurricanes’ Brad Morrison named CHL Player of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Brad Morrison of the Lethbridge Hurricanes is the CHL Player of the Week for the first week of playoff action ending March 25 after recording eight points in two games including three goals and five assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-4.
Morrison delivered back-to-back multi-point performances for the Hurricanes who opened the WHL Playoffs with a pair of victories against their Central Division opponent the Red Deer Rebels. In Game 1 on Friday night he scored once with an assist in a 6-0 shutout, then tallied a career-high six points in Game 2 on Saturday with two goals including the game-winner plus four assists as first star of the 8-3 win. The series resumes Tuesday night in Red Deer.
A 21-year-old from Prince George, B.C., Morrison is finishing his five-year WHL career in Lethbridge and was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Vancouver Giants midway through the 2017-18 campaign. He also spent four full seasons with his hometown Cougars who chose him seventh overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. This season Morrison produced a career-high 75 points in 74 games which included 40 points in 32 games with the Canes.
Also considered for the award this week was Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Vitalii Abramov of the Victoriaville Tigres who scored three goals and three assists for six points in two wins against the Gatineau Olympiques in first round QMJHL Playoffs action, and Arizona Coyotes prospect Noel Hoefenmayer of the Ottawa 67’s who scored twice with four assists for six points in a two-game split against the Hamilton Bulldogs to open the Eastern Conference OHL Playoffs.
2017-18 CHL Players of the Week – Playoffs:
Mar. 19 – Mar. 25: Brad Morrison (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
2017-18 CHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 12 – Mar. 18: Dillon Dube (Kelowna Rockets)
Mar. 5 – Mar. 11: Jayden Halbgewachs (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 4: Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
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)
Broncos’ Stuart Skinner named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Edmonton Oilers prospect Stuart Skinner of the Swift Current Broncos is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the first week of playoff action ending March 25 after posting a 1-1 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.01 and save percentage of .970.
Skinner turned aside 64 shots last week for the Broncos who opened the WHL Playoffs at home by splitting games with their East Division opponent the Regina Pats. On Friday night in Game 1 of the series he recorded his first career WHL playoff shutout with a 34-save performance that earned him first star honours in the 3-0 win. In Game 2 on Saturday, Skinner made 30 saves but the Broncos fell short by a 2-1 score knotting the series at one win apiece. Skinner’s strong play continued into this week earning first star honours in Game 3 on Monday night with a 39-save effort in a 4-1 victory. The series resumes Wednesday night in Regina.
A 19-year-old from Edmonton, Alta., Skinner is playing in his fourth WHL season and first with the Broncos when acquired in January from the Lethbridge Hurricanes where he played since his first round selection in the 2013 Bantam Draft. In 25 appearances down the stretch for the Broncos he carried a 16-6-1-1 record with two shutouts for a goals-against-average of 2.68 and save percentage of .914. Skinner was a third round pick by the Oilers in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Also considered for the award this week was Zachary Bouthillier of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens who split the first two road games of the QMJHL Playoffs against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan but did earn a shutout victory making a total of 77 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.53 and save percentage of .963. In the OHL Playoffs, Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers posted a 2-0 record against the Guelph Storm stopping 77 shots for a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .963.
2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week – Playoffs:
Mar. 19 – Mar. 25: Stuart Skinner (Swift Current Broncos)
2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 12 – Mar. 18: Patrick Dea (Tri-City Americans)
Mar. 5 – Mar. 11: Etienne Montpetit (Victoriaville Tigres)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 4: Shane Farkas (Portland Winterhawks)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Emanuel Vella (Mississauga Steelheads)
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 