CHL Players of the Week: Feb. 26 – March 3, 2024
Each week throughout the regular season, the CHL will recognize the OHL, QMJHL and WHL’s top players as chosen by the leagues:
OHL
In three games last week, Ottawa’s Jacob Maillet racked up the assists with nine of them. On Feb. 29 he had four helpers in an 8-2 win over Niagara and followed that up with two assists a day later in a 4-3 overtime victory against Mississauga where he set-up Henry Mews for the game-winner. He concluded the week with a trio of assists on March 3 as Ottawa fell 6-5 to Erie. Maillet, who had 76 points with Windsor last year, was acquired from the Spits at the OHL trade deadline has played at a point-per-game pace in 17 contests with the 67’s.
Collecting nine assists, seven of them primary, over three outings for @Ottawa67sHockey, overage forward Jacob Maillet is the @cogeco #OHL Player of the Week.#OHLPOTW 📰: https://t.co/EBWOc8mbIi pic.twitter.com/QiQcFgn7kk
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 4, 2024
In his lone start of the week Peterborough’s Liam Sztuska stopped 45 shots in a 4-1 road win against Owen Sound Sunday. A member of the Petes’ OHL championship squad from a year ago, Sztuska has a .906 save percentage in 40 games. The Mississauga, ON., native ranks third among OHL goaltenders with 1,386 saves this year.
Turning aside 45 shots in a dazzling performance on Sunday, @PetesOHLhockey's Liam Sztuska is the #OHL Goaltender of the Week.#OHLGOTW 📰: https://t.co/edsFQOahYW pic.twitter.com/1axSbFzNUa
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 4, 2024
QMJHL
With seven points (three goals) in two games, Vsevolod Komarov (BUF) earned QMJHL honours. On March 1 he had four points (1G, 3A) as the Volts beat Charlottetown 8-2 while two days later he had three more points (2G, 1A) in a 5-3 loss to Sherbrooke. The owner of the game-winning goal in the 2023 Memorial Cup for Quebec, the Volts d-man has 43 points (10 goals) in 30 games since he was acquired in early December. Komarov’s combined 62 points this year are a new career high.
Defenseman Vsevolod Komarov stayed hot by racking up three goals and four assists in two road games! 🔥#VideotronPOTW | @VoltigeursDRU
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) March 4, 2024
Halifax’s Mathis Rousseau was named to the QMJHL’s Team of the Week after he won two of his three starts last week. Rousseau stopped 29 shots on Feb. 28 in a 2-1 win against Cape Breton. A day later, he made 32 saves in a 2-0 loss to Acadie-Bathurst but concluded the week with a 29-save performance in a 7-1 win against Saint John on March 2. Rousseau’s 29 wins and .926 save percentage are both tied for the QMJHL lead.
WHL
In three home games, Kamloops’ Jordan Keller recorded seven points (four goals). On Feb. 28, he scored twice and added an assist as the Blazers beat Spokane 5-2. On March 1, he had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 loss to Seattle and 24 hours later had the same line in a 3-2 victory versus Vancouver. Acquired from Saskatoon in the Fraser Minten (TOR) trade, Keller 37 points (13 goals) in 38 games with the Blazers.
Jordan Keller’s four-goal week helped lead the @blazerhockey to a couple of wins and lead himself to the Tempo #WHL Player of the Week.
Click to read ⬇️
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 4, 2024
Ethan Buenaventura made three starts for Calgary last week while he also recorded his first WHL shutout. On Feb. 28 he made 32 saves as Calgary beat Edmonton 6-3 and on March 2 turned away 32 shots in a 2-1 loss to Red Deer. He ended the week with a 32-save shutout as the Hitmen blanked Medicine Hat 2-0 on the road. Buenaventura owns a 3.54 GAA and a 19-19-6 record in 46 appearances this year.
Recording his first career shutout against the division’s top team earns @WHLHitmen netminder Ethan Buenaventura the @DrOetkerCAN Giuseppe #WHL Goaltender of the Week.
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— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 4, 2024