Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, February 19, 2023.
Sting’s Nolan Burke Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Nashville Predators prospect Nolan Burke of the Sarnia Sting is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, scoring five goals and adding three assists for eight points as the Sting collected five of a possible six points last week.
Burke’s week began with a career-high four-goal performance on Wednesday, marking Burke’s third hat-trick of the campaign as the Sting trounced the visiting Guelph Storm 9-1. Burke scored a second period power play goal and added an assist on Sasha Pastujov’s game winner in Friday’s 3-2 road win over the London Knights that was aired before a national audience on TSN. He had a pair of helpers on Saturday as the Sting saw their lead slip away as the Knights took the back-end of the home-and-home 4-3 in overtime.
A 20-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., Burke has built off last year’s breakout campaign with career-highs of 36 goals and 61 points in 43 games this season. He’s scored the League’s second-highest total of 17 power play goals this season, and owns career figures of 76 goals, 57 assists and 133 points in 164 regular season games with Sarnia. The Sting selected Burke in the fourth round (79th overall) of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He signed a three-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Nashville Predators on Nov. 14, 2022.
Also considered for the award this week, Barrie Colts overage forward Evan Vierling produced six goals, two assists and eight points in three contests last week. Saginaw defenceman Mitchell Smith contributed a goal and six assists as the Spirit strung together three straight road wins.
2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Spirit’s Tristan Lennox Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
New York Islanders prospect Tristan Lennox of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, going 3-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.
Lennox backstopped the Spirit to three straight victories on the road last week, helping them maintain home ice advantage in the Western Conference playoff picture. He helped the Spirit defeat the Soo Greyhounds 6-2 on Wednesday, making 29 saves, following that up with another 21 saves on Friday as the Spirit bested the Guelph Storm 4-2. Lennox wrapped-up his solid performance on Saturday in Owen Sound, making 25 saves as Saginaw defeated the Attack 3-2 at the Bayshore.
A 20-year-old from Cambridge, Ont., Lennox is 22-13-1-1 this season with a 3.24 goals-against average, .882 save percentage and two shutouts in 38 games. His 56 career wins are the fifth-most in Spirit franchise history as the former second round (26th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection has played to a career mark of 56-43-4-3 with a 3.29 goals-against average, .885 save percentage and three shutouts in 114 games. Lennox is the only remaining member of the Spirit who reached the Western Conference Championship Series with the club back in 2019. He was a third round (93rd overall) pick by the New York Islanders in 2021 NHL Draft.
Also considered for the award this week, San Jose Sharks prospect Ben Gaudreau helped the Sarnia Sting gather five of a possible six points, going 2-0-1-0 with a 2.30 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.
2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Zach Bowen (London Knights)
Jan 30 – Feb. 5: Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan 23 – Jan. 29: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Jan 16 – Jan. 22: Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan 9 – Jan. 15: Matteo Drobac (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Owen Flores (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Joe Ranger (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
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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