CHL Players of the Week: March 10-16

Each week throughout the regular season, the CHL will recognize the OHL, QMJHL and WHL’s top players as chosen by the member leagues:

OHL

In just three games, Windsor’s Ilya Protas (WSH) recorded 11 points (five goals). On March 13 he had four points (1G, 3A) in a 6-3 victory against the Soo while on March 15 he had a goal and two assists in a 6-5 shootout win over Saginaw. A day later, Protas recorded his third hat-trick of the season – as well as an assists – in a 8-5 decision over London that also saw him reach the 50-goal mark. Protas’ 119 points are tied for the second most in the OHL this season.

Brantford’s Ryerson Leenders (BUF) collected a pair of road wins last week. On March 13 he made 33 saves in a 2-1 win over North Bay while 24 hours later he stopped 43 shots in a 5-1 decision against Sudbury. Leenders is 30-13-3 with a 3.09 GAA and .910 save percentage 46 games this year. Leenders’ 30 wins are part of a three-way tie for the third most in the OHL.

QMJHL

Moncton’s Alex Mercier tallied eight points (six goals) in three games for the CHL’s no. 1 ranked team. On March 13 he found the back of the net in a 3-0 road win against Cape Breton while on March 15 he had a five-point (3G, 2A) outburst as the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 8-0. He concluded the week with another two goals in a 6-2 victory over the Titan on March 16. Mercier has a career high 28 goals and 62 points this season.

In goal, the Wildcats’ Rudy Guimond (DET) won a pair of starts. He made 26 saves on March 13 to record his third shutout of the season while in the March 16 win over Acadie-Bathurst, he stopped 22 shots. Guimond is a perfect 15-0-0 with a 1.52 GAA and .948 save percentage this season.

WHL

In just two games, Medicine Hat’s Gavin McKenna (2026) tallied an astonishing 11 points. On March 14 he put up four points (1G, 3A) in a 6-5 overtime win against Lethbridge while a day later he exploded for a season high seven points (3G, 4A) that included his third hat-trick of the season as the Tigers beat the Rebels 7-3. McKenna’s 121 points are the second most in the WHL this season.

Saskatoon’s Evan Gardner (CBJ) won three straight games last week. He began the week with a 28-save effort in a 6-3 win over Regina on March 11 while three days later he stopped all 29 shots he faced as Saskatoon blanked Swift Current 3-0. On March 16 he recorded his second straight shutout courtesy of a 23-save performance in a 4-0 win against the Pats. Gardner is 22-12-4 with a .911 save percentage and 2.83 GAA in 41 games.