CHL News and Notes Week 16

Wildcats’ Nicola Riopel Named CHL Goaltender of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Nicola Riopel of the Moncton Wildcats is the CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending January 10. Riopel won three games including a shutout victory posting a goals-against-average of 1.67 and save percentage of .928.

Riopel’s best performance of the week was played Sunday when he recorded his first shutout of the season making 25 saves as third star of a 3-0 win over the Halifax Mooseheads. He was tested earlier on in the week against some tough competition last Wednesday night when he made 26 saves to beat the QMJHL’s top ranked team the Saint John Sea Dogs by a score of 5-3. On Saturday night he made 13 saves in a 6-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Riopel, a 20-year-old from St-Pie-De-Bagot, QC, is playing in fourth full QMJHL season with the Wildcats. A fifth round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Riopel has a 6-1-0-0 record since his recent return to Moncton. Last season he won this award an impressive three times and was also named the QMJHL’s Most Valuable Player.

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Spitfires’ Taylor Hall Named CHL Player of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that for the second time this season Windsor Spitfires’ forward Taylor Hall is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 10. Hall scored three goals and five assists for eight points in three games.

Hall contributed immediately upon his return to the Spitfires from Team Canada and the World Junior Championships scoring three points Thursday night with two goals and one assist as second star of an 8-5 win over the Saginaw Spirit. His best game of the week was played Saturday night where he scored a goal and three assists for four points as first star of a 5-4 win over the Sarnia Sting. The four-point game was his seventh of the season. He also contributed an assist Sunday in a 4-1 win over the Sting.

Hall, an 18-year-old from Kingston, ON, is playing in his third OHL season with the Spitfires and is currently tied for the league-lead in scoring with 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points in 37 games. Hall will compete for Team Cherry at the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game next week in Windsor and enters the game as the top-ranked North American Skater as determined by NHL Central Scouting.

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Top 3 Goal Scorers After Week Sixteen

1) Jeff Skinner (Kitchener Rangers): 42 Games Played, 34 Goals

2) Ryan Howse (Chilliwack Bruins): 46 Games Played, 34 Goals

3) Jordan Eberle (Regina Pats): 30 Games Played,  30 Goals

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Top 5 Point Scorers After Week Sixteen

1) Craig Cunningham (Vancouver Giants): 46 Games Played, 68 Points

2) Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires): 37 Games Played, 67 Points

3) Tyler Seguin (Plymouth Whalers): 39 Games Played, 67 Points

4) Brandon Kozun (Calgary Hitmen): 36 Games Played, 65 Points

5) Gabriel Lévesque (Huskies de Rouyn-Noranda): 45 Games Played, 65 Points

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Top 3 Rookie Point Scorers After Week Sixteen

1) Kevin Connauton (Vancouver Giants): 44 Games Played, 50 Points

2) Emerson Etem (Medicine Hat Tigers): 47 Games Played, 48 Points

3) Ryan Johansen (Portland Winterhawks): 44 Games Played, 45 Points

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Top 3 Goaltender Wins After Week Sixteen

1) Troy Passingham (Windsor Spitfires): 38 Games Played, 30 Wins

2) Drew Owsley (Tri-City Americans):  38 Games Played, 27 Wins

3) Peter Di Salvo (Barrie Colts): 33 Games Played, 25 Wins
*News and Notes provided by the Canadian Hockey League*