Blades’ Kirby Dach named CHL Player of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that 2019 NHL Draft prospect Kirby Dach of the Saskatoon Blades is the CHL Player of the Week for the opening week of regular season action ending September 23 after scoring three goals and four assists for seven points in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.
Dach produced back-to-back multi-point performances leading the Blades to a home-and-home series sweep over the defending WHL champion Swift Current Broncos. He assisted on both of the club’s goals in Friday’s season opening 2-1 victory, then recorded his first career hat-trick on home ice Saturday while adding two helpers as first star of the 8-0 win. The five-point effort is a new career-high as the Blades begin a season 2-0 for the first time since 2011-12.
A 17-year-old from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Dach is playing in his second full season with the Blades after being chosen by the club with the second overall pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. He finished fourth in rookie scoring a year ago with 46 points in 52 games and was a member of Canada’s gold medal winning under-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Also considered for the award this week was QMJHL rookie Josh Lawrence of the Saint John Sea Dogs scoring two goals and two assists for four points in two games, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs who scored once with four assists for five points in just one game to start his OHL season.
2018-19 CHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Sept. 19 – Sept. 23: Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades)