SMITH NAMED DENNY'S WHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Press Release

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Kamloops Blazers’ forward Colin Smith is the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week.   

Smith collected 10 points, scoring three goals and seven assists to go with a +7 rating, in four games over the past week helping the Blazers to a 4-0-0-0 road record.   

On Tuesday, October 16, the Kamloops Blazers continued their road trip through the WHL Central Division with a stop in Red Deer to face the Rebels.  Smith scored the game winning goal, added two assists and was named the game’s 1^st Star in the Blazers’ 4-0 win over the Rebels.  The next night, Wednesday, October 17, the Blazers were in Edmonton to face the defending WHL Champion Oil Kings.  Smith collected a pair of assists, scored the shoot-out winner and was named the game’s 3^rd Star in the Blazers 5-4 shoot-out victory over the Oil Kings.  On Friday, October 19, Smith scored one goal and one assist as the Blazers edged the Hurricanes 5-4 in overtime in Lethbridge.  On Saturday, October 20, the Blazers were in Cranbrook to face the Kootenay Ice.  Smith scored one goal, added two assists and was named the game’s 1^st Star as the Blazers doubled the Ice 6-3.

Smith currently sits 2^nd among all WHL Scorers with 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 13 games played thus far this season.  The Blazers currently sit first in the Western Hockey League and have yet to experience a regulation loss with a 12-0-0-1 record for 25 points.

A 19-year-old from Edmonton, AB, Smith is in his fourth full season with the Kamloops Blazers.  The Blazers selected Smith in the 1^st round – 7^th overall in the 2008 WHL Draft and was recently a 7^th round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.

The WHL has also nominated Jordon Cooke of the Kelowna Rockets for the CHL Goaltender of the Week Award.  Cookeposted a 2-0-0-0 record this past week with one shut-out, stopping 59 of 61 shots faced for a 0.967 save-percentage and 1.00 goals-against average.  Cooke, a 19-year-old from Leduc, AB, helped lead the Rockets to a 3-0 shut-out victory over the Prince George Cougars (named 1^st Star) and a 4-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings (named 2^nd Star).


(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)