SGEU MVP of the Week: Ewan Rennie, Estevan Bruins
No team needed a couple of wins like the Bruins did this past weekend, and with the league’s best forward, Rennie, back and healthy, they got the job done. Five goals in two games, victories over tough defensive teams in Nipawin and Yorkton, have the league’s point leader back on track, and the Bruins back in the playoff mix.
Week Stats: 3 GP, 5 G, 0 A, 5 PTS, Hat Trick vs NIP
Bourgault Forward of the Week: Josh Sale, Weyburn Red Wings
Sale reached the 20-goal plateau with at least a goal in each of the Wings’ four games, and while Weyburn was .500 on the week, the Viking Cup star more than did his part. A three-point night in Friday’s win in Melville was one of the speedster’s best performances on the campaign, and he will need more of that consistency from the veteran as they fight for Round 1 home-ice advantage with eight games remaining in the regular season.
Week Stats: 4 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 PTS
SuperU Defenceman of the Week: Bo Eisner, Melfort Mustangs
There was arguably nobody with more external interest around the trade deadline than Melforts’ two-time championship defenceman Eisner. The Manitoban has been great all year, and continued to repay the organization’s faith in him this past week as the Mustangs extended their win streak to six with three truly playoff-feeling one-goal wins. Eisner not only continues to chip in offensively but also plays his typical lockdown defence.
Week Stats: 4 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 PTS
SaskTel Goalie of the Week: Kason Kobelka, Melfort Mustangs
Melfort’s suboptimal start to the year did not include the play of their goaltenders, who were solid from the start, and the rookie Kobelka deserves a huge amount of credit for the Mustangs’ late-season charge to get back into the playoff race. He was rock-solid in wins over Estevan and Humboldt, giving up only a single goal each time, and remains sharp despite the fact that the team keeps going back and forth in games between him and the more-experienced Madden Mulawka. Skaters often get a lot of credit as far as Rookie of the Year talk goes, but in Kobelka, among others, there are some terrific goaltender candidates for the award as well.
Week Stats: 2-0-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .962 SV%
SaskMilk Rookie of the Week: Brett Buckley, Yorkton Terriers
The belief in the talent of Buckley from the Terriers’ staff has been strong from the beginning, and he has blossomed in February with six points while playing a regular shift among the strongly reloaded Yorkton blue line. The 2007-birth-year player from Calgary had his first career multi-point game Feb. 11 in Weyburn and is flourishing alongside premium veteran Tyler Palin.
Week Stats: 4 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 PTS
Canterra Seeds Saskatchewan Player of the Week: Owen Nelson, Battlefords North Stars (from Prince Albert, Sask)
There are not too many trades this year that have paid off as well as the Battlefords’ acquisition of Nelson from Melfort earlier this campaign. On the right side of Alessio Nardelli in the middle and Drew Williamson on the left, the Stars have found yet another excellent combination lately among their bounty of talented, productive forwards.
Week Stats: 3 GP – 3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS
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