Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, February 6, 2022
Knights’ Luke Evangelista Named OHL Player of the Week
Nashville Predators prospect Luke Evangelista of the London Knights is the OHL Player of the Week with six goals, four assists and 10 points in three games with a plus/minus rating of plus-6.
Back in action for the first time since Jan. 23rd, the Knights won three straight over the weekend as Evangelista led the way, scoring in all three outings. He opened the scoring on the power play in Friday’s 5-1 win over the Windsor Spitfires before collecting a career-high five points including a hat trick and two assists in Saturday’s 6-3 defeat of the Kitchener Rangers. The 6-foot, 171Ib. right-winger was back at it on Sunday, hitting the empty net twice while adding two assists in London’s 8-3 road win over the Owen Sound Attack to extend his point streak to seven games. Evangelista surpassed his 2019-20 point total of 61 (23-38–61) recorded over 62 games in his 31st game of the season on Sunday.
A 19-year-old native of Oakville, Ont., Evangelista sits tied for the OHL goal-scoring lead with 32 tallies in just 31 games. He’s fourth in overall points with 64 (32-32–64) and leads OHL players with 2.06 points-per-game. The third-year forward was a second round (42nd overall) pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract in November 2020. Evangelista was London’s first round (14th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.
Also considered for the award this week, Flint Firebirds forward Amadeus Lombardi registered a goal and five assists for six points in a pair of victories for his club. Edmonton Oilers prospect Matvey Petrov of the North Bay Battalion was also a force, scoring four goals along with two assists for six points as the Troops went 3-0 on home ice.
2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Luke Evangelista (London Knights)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Riley Piercey (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan 9: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Ty Tullio (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Lucas Edmonds (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)
Generals’ Patrick Leaver Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Patrick Leaver of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0-0-0 with a 1.44 goals-against average, .955 save percentage and one shutout.
Leaver claims the honour for the second time this season, helping the Generals put together a perfect weekend by stopping 64 of the 67 shots he faced. He was in the crease on Friday in Mississauga as the Generals edged the first place Steelheads 4-3 in a shootout. Leaver stopped 33 of the 36 shots he faced before turning aside all nine Steelheads shootout attempts to secure the win. He was back at it on Saturday in Barrie, posting his second shutout of the season as the Generals were outshot 31-17 but managed to defeat the Colts 1-0 on a third period goal from Ryan Gagnier.
An 18-year-old from Perth, Ont., Leaver leads all OHL goaltenders with a .935 save percentage since January 1. His overall season totals include a 15-9-1-1 record, 2.95 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and two shutouts in 28 games. The former eighth round (158th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection was the 29th-ranked North American goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings released in January.
Also considered for the award this week, London Knights netminder Brett Brochu played to a 3-0-0-0 record with a 2.33 goals-against average and .936 save percentage as the Knights continue to lead the Western Conference. Luke Cavallin of the Flint Firebirds was 2-0-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .956 save percentage as the Firebirds remain hot.
2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: Mitchell Weeks (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan. 9: Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: Joe Ranger (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Owen Bennett (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Roman Basran (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Jacob Oster (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
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