CHL Team of the Month: January 2023
The Canadian Hockey League announced today the January edition of the CHL Team of the Month for the 2022-23 regular season.
For the third time this season, Regina Pats star Connor Bedard finds himself selected after he recorded 16 goals and 24 points in just seven games. Bedard, whose January started with a gold medal at the 2023 World Juniors, had a season high six points Jan. 8 where he scored four times in his return to the Pats lineup. He followed that up with a five-point effort Jan. 13 and has tallied five multi-point outings this month. The 17-year-old continues to lead the CHL in scoring this season and is currently riding a 34-game point streak.
After he was traded to the Gatineau Olympiques ahead of the QMJHL trade deadline, Montreal Canadiens prospect Riley Kidney has starred in January where in eight outings he notched 22 points with his new team. After he was held pointless in his Olympiques debut Jan. 6, Kidney has recorded multiple points in every game since that was highlighted by a five-point showing Jan. 14. All in all, Kidney has 20 goals and 67 points in 39 games this year.
Kamloops Blazers captain Logan Stankoven earns his second selection of the season after he impressed with eight goals and 21 points in eight games after his return from the 2023 World Juniors. The Dallas Stars prospect had five multi-point efforts in January that was highlighted by two separate five-point outings. Stankoven has recorded at least one point in all 29 games he has played this year and tallied 25 goals and 60 points in the process.
On the blue line, Brandt Clarke’s return to the OHL has been dominant with the Barrie Colts. The L.A. Kings reassigned Clarke to Barrie after the 2023 World Juniors and in nine games since, he has 10 goals and 20 points. He has six multi-point showings, two of which he recorded four points, and on Jan. 29 scored his first OHL hat-trick.
Also on the back end is North Bay Battalion d-man Ty Nelson who scored seven goals and 17 points in 11 games. The Seattle Kraken prospect recorded three points on three separate occasions in January and sits second in scoring among CHL defencemen with 56 points this season.
Between the pipes, Halifax Mooseheads netminder Mathis Rousseau earns the nod after an impressive month in which he went 8-0-0 with a 1.78 GAA and a .938 save percentage. Rousseau has backstopped the Mooseheads to a run of 21 games without a loss in regulation and leads the QMJHL in wins with 25.
