Morrison and Fitzpatrick earn second playoff honours
Hurricanes’ Brad Morrison named CHL Player of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Los Angeles Kings prospect Brad Morrison of the Lethbridge Hurricanes is the CHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending April 29 after recording seven points in three games including four goals and three assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Morrison becomes the first two-time award recipient during the CHL Playoffs for his efforts during the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Swift Current Broncos. Despite falling to the Broncos in six games, Morrison set a new team record for most goals in a single playoff and tied franchise leader Wes Walz for most points in a single post-season. His week began with a hat-trick and four-point performance in Tuesday’s Game 3 on home ice where he earned first star honours in the 5-1 victory. The Hurricanes tied the series with another 5-1 win in Game 4 on Wednesday with Morrison contributing two assists. That would be as close as the Hurricanes would come skating to a 4-3 loss in Game 5 on Saturday with Morrison scoring once, followed by the Game 6 series finale on Monday with a 5-1 Broncos victory.
A 21-year-old from Prince George, B.C., Morrison finished his five-year WHL career in Lethbridge after being 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, then added 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points in 16 playoff games to lead all WHL scorers through three rounds. Earlier today, Morrison was signed to a free agent entry-level contract with the Kings.
Also considered for the award this week was Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers with one goal and seven assists for eight points in four games against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL’s Western Conference Championship Series, and Ottawa Senators prospect Drake Batherson of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada who scored three goals and three assists for six points in four games against the Charlottetown Islanders in their QMJHL Semi-Final series.
2017-18 CHL Players of the Week – Playoffs:
Apr. 23 – Apr. 29: Brad Morrison (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Apr. 16 – Apr. 22: Boris Katchouk (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Apr. 9 – Apr. 15: Jake Bean (Tri-City Americans)
Apr. 2 – Apr. 8: Pascal Aquin (Charlottetown Islanders)
Mar. 26 – Apr. 1: Gabriel Vilardi (Kingston Frontenacs)
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)
Titan’s Evan Fitzpatrick named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that St. Louis Blues prospect Evan Fitzpatrick of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the playoff week ending April 29 after posting a 2-0 record along with a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .938.
Fitzpatrick earns the award for the second time in three weeks after extending his winning-streak to 10 games for the Titan who completed a four-game series sweep over the Victoriaville Tigres in the QMJHL Semi-Finals. His week included a 28-save performance in Game 3 on Tuesday night securing a 2-1 road win with third star honours, then a 38-save effort in Game 4 on Wednesday clinching the series with the 4-3 victory. His strong play has helped the Titan advance to the QMJHL Final for the President Cup for the first time since 2001.
A 20-year-old from St. John’s, Nfld., Fitzpatrick joined the Titan in January where he won 17 games in 21 appearances with a goals-against-average of 2.24 and save percentage of .915 for the Maritimes Division champions. So far this post-season he carries an impressive 12-2 record with a league-best goals-against-average of 1.99 and save percentage of .927 which is among the league’s leaders. Fitzpatrick began his QMJHL career with the Sherbrooke Phoenix where he played more than three years after being chosen fourth overall in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft. He was later a second round pick by the Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Also considered for the award this week was Mario Culina who made 136 saves across four games for the Kitchener Rangers posting a 3-1 record against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds including one shutout for a goals-against-average of 3.10 and save percentage of .913. In the WHL, Logan Flodell made 76 saves in three games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes posting a 2-1 record against the Swift Current Broncos with a goals-against-average of 2.05 and save percentage of .927.
2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week – Playoffs:
Apr. 23 – Apr. 29: Evan Fitzpatrick (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Apr. 16 – Apr. 22: Émile Samson (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Apr. 9 – Apr. 15: Evan Fitzpatrick (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Apr. 2 – Apr. 8: Patrick Dea (Tri-City Americans)
Mar. 26 – Apr. 1: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
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 